To Fix a Hero's Heart
by A.Treatyjh
Summary: After the events of Twilight Princess, Zelda tries to mend Link's broken heart after Midna's departure, but when the Hero gives her the cold shoulder, she doesn't know how to fix it.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This takes place after Twilight Princess. After playing the game through for a second time, I thought this up as a continuation of sorts. I'd love to hear your thoughts, including criticism and advice, so don't hesitate to review! Thank you to all the people who are taking the time to read this! Much appreciated!**

 **Disclaimer:All Zelda rights go to Nintendo**

Queen Zelda gazed out her bedroom window as the orange sun steadily rose over Hyrule Field. Of course, the softly glowing sun was not where her eyes were set. No, the Queen's sapphire eyes were locked on a small group of soldiers-one man in particular. This man was leading the soldiers through their daily training exercises. Zelda smiled tenderly as she brushed her chestnut hair, watching the Castle Town Soldiers drop to do push-up under the order of their Commander. Her eyes were trained on the Commander, whose bright yellow hair made him stand out amongst the gleaming silver of armor. Though he wasn't obligated to do so, the yellow haired Commander rose early every morning to train the soldiers who had once called him "General." He was still their General, amongst other things. Link, once a poor farmer in Ordon, had risen to the title of Hero, then General, and eventually, King.

Zelda pulled the brush through her silky hair, paying little attention to the dark strands. As a Queen, she should have attendants to help her with tasks such as brushing her hair and getting dressed, but she preferred to take the early morning as time to herself. That decision had nothing to do with the fact that early morning was Link's training time. Or that she spent the time gazing out her bedroom window, viewing the soldiers' training rounds. Just a mere coincidence.

Watching him instruct the newly recruited soldiers, the Queen thought back to when she had first met the young hero, back when she was only a princess. It wasn't just the fact that he had saved her kingdom that made Zelda love him. It definitely was a contribution, but there were other things as well. His deep blue eyes that rivaled the color of the evening sky, or his absolute selflessness. He wasn't a man of many words, but when he did speak, he could have quite the sense of humor. These attributes, as well as his famous heroics, led the poor farmer to become an idol of Hyrule, and a favorite among the citizens. So naturally, when the time for Princess Zelda to find a husband came up, Link became even more important than before. The people were thrilled to have the Legendary Hero as their King, and the Princess was just as happy. As a Princess, Zelda never expected she would be able to marry for love, but she did love him, whether the feeling was returned or not.

The Queen's gentle smile faded as her eyes fell upon the golden band across her finger. Yes, it was what _she_ had wanted, and it should have been a Happily-Ever-After, but the Queen knew the band was just a gold-coated lie. Regardless of her love towards him, Zelda knew that Link didn't feel the same way. Despite what he said, she was not stupid, and his frequent disappearances and lack of intimacy gave him away. In their whole marriage, the only time he had kissed her was their wedding day, after the "You may now kiss the bride" declaration. Zelda remembered the kiss in a bittersweet memory. To her, it had felt so real, so true-until she had looked up to meet his eyes and saw only emptiness in them. No unending love or overjoy, simply the cold emptiness of despair. Zelda had tried to make it work, but no matter what she did, the cold vacancy never left his blue eyes. She knew why. Among the disappearances and coldness, the strongest sign came at Twilight. He never uttered a word when dusk fell, only stood there, staring at the fading sun. Each time, Zelda could see his heart breaking over again. So, she knew, on that wedding day, the eyes he had wanted to gaze into were not her sapphire ones, but the ruby eyes of another princess.

Zelda sighed tiredly as her vision clouded, and the lines of her golden ring blurred under tears. She hastily wiped them away. She wanted to cry, but would never let herself. Crying was useless-it didn't fix anything, didn't help people, and certainly couldn't make Link love her, so why bother?

"My Queen?" A servant rapped on the door, making Zelda jump slightly.

"Yes?" she bit back her pain and responded in a neutral tone.

"I"m just coming to remind you of the council meeting today." The servant reminded her through the dark wood of her bedroom door.

"Yes, of course." the Queen replied calmly. "Thank you."

"Yes, my Queen." the servant answered before shuffling away from her door. Queen Zelda cast one last glance at her husband, then sighed at turned away.

"I'll always love you, Link," she spoke quietly, wiping away the remaining tears, "Even if you'll never truly be mine."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Wow! Thank you all for the reviews, follows, and favorites! It means so much to me! You guys are great.**

 **Disclaimer: Zelda rights go to Nintendo.**

Queen Zelda sighed, staring at her own reflection in the mirror. She tucked a loose strand of hazel hair behind her ear. She looked stunning-hair tucked neatly into a braid, her golden crown resting atop her head, and her cerulean blue dress clinging tightly to her figure. The Queen muttered to herself, quietly reciting the lines of the speech she would have to give at the Ceremony. She had already chanted them so many times, the words were embedded into her memory, but she repeated them anyway.

"Thank you, citizens of Hyrule, for gathering to commemorate this fateful day in history..."she said, forcing a smile on her face. She opened her mouth to continue, but was interrupted by a knock on her bedroom door. A few seconds later, the door was opened by her husband and king, Link.

"The Festival will be starting soon. Just..wanted you to know." He mumbled.

While everyone else in the kingdom was celebrating that day, Link was subdued, gloomy even. Zelda found his dismal disposition ironic-after all, the Festival was thrown in his name. Unlike the other citizens of Hyrule, the young hero seemed to dread the day more than anything.

"Thank you, Link. I should be going then." Zelda stated formally. He merely nodded, his blue eyes downcast. In that moment, as he stood in the doorway with his eyes filled with misery, Zelda wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and take away his pain, but she knew that would only make him worse.

He turned away and began to swing the door closed behind him. Zelda bit her lip, scrambling through her mind to think of something-anything to say that might lighten his mood. With the door opened just a sliver, Zelda stopped him.

"Link!" she nearly shouted. The young King paused and turned back to face her, swinging the door open again.

"Yes?" He asked, his voice dull.

"Um," she murmured. Her cheeks turned rosy as she dropped his gaze and studied her feet. Her blush grew darker when she realized she had nothing to say after all. Her eyes darted back to his forest-green tunic, which he was wearing especially for the ceremony. "You look nice today."

Link blinked once, twice, never dropping the distant expression he wore.

"Thanks." He replied in his same, dull tone. He began to close the door again before stopping and looking over his shoulder. "You do too," he said, almost as an after thought.

Zelda nodded, her blush returning as he closed the door and walked away. The Queen slumped against the wall, burying her face in her palms.

"What am I doing?" She muttered miserably. "You look nice today? _That_ was the best I could do?" the Queen berated herself. She rubbed her eyelids, heaving shaky sighs. She was tired, _so_ tired, of loving someone that hated her. No matter how hard she tried, Zelda could never be who Link wanted her to be. That's why every conversation, every shared look, nearly reduced the beautiful Queen to tears.

Another knock sounded on the Queen's door.

"What?" Zelda growled, dropping her hands from her face.

 _"Can't I have a_ minute _of peace?"_ Her thoughts fumed.

"You're going to be late for the Opening Ceremony, Your Highness." The servant answered, seemingly unaware of her Queen's distress. Zelda rose and opened the door, donning her most convincing smile.

"Thank you. I'll be going now." She said, raising her chin high and proceeding down the hall.

Link was waiting by the stairs, talking to a young soldier. As King and Queen, it was customary for the two to attend Ceremonies together. She joined him at the head of the stairs and they both nodded to each other in acknowledgment. Zelda held out her arm, adorned in a soft, blue satin glove that reached to her elbow. Her delicate arm linked into his and he escorted her down the hall. The soldiers and attendants flocked behind them as the two began the awkward descent down the stairs, their footsteps being the only thing to break the silence. To Zelda, the quiet felt tangible, impenetrable, and suffocating. She so desperately wanted to say something to him, to make him smile, but she could never find the words to do so. Instead, she walked along with him, biting her tongue behind a mask of serenity. They continued on that way, drowning in quiet tension, until they passed through the open gates of the castle and into the roaring crowd. A podium had been set up just before the Triforce Fountain, and Zelda made her way to it, the Legendary Hero in tow. Reaching the stand, Zelda turned to Link and smiled, bowing slightly. In return, he smiled and bowed, though the smile never reached his cold eyes. The crowd continued to roar as Zelda stood before the podium and Link sat in his seat behind her. The Queen lifted her hand, and immediately the crowd calmed. The same silence that had tortured the Queen only minutes before now enveloped the whole city. Zelda choked back that thought and began her speech.

"Thank you, citizens of Hyrule, for gathering to commemorate this fateful day in history . The day when our Legendary Hero arrived to rid the land of darkness and save us all from evil." The crowd applauded and whooped in response. Zelda waited until the people quieted before she tried to speak. "This day, two years ago, Link of Ordon defeated Ganondorf and saved Hyrule. As a result of his heroics, we hold this celebration to remind us of our fortune and to thank the man that redeemed us from the rule of a tyrant king..." Zelda's speech continued on, enthralling the audience with her recitation of her captivity and Link's daring rescue. At the end, she publicly thanked Link, which he accepted with a phony smile and a nod of the head. He said a few words after Zelda's speech, then the festival began. Drinks were passed around, food was exchanged, and music filled the city for hours. Everyone was there-men, women, children, rich, poor, old, young-everyone except for the hero himself. Shortly after giving his brief speech, Link had disappeared into the crowd and vanished. In all the excitement, no one but Zelda had really noticed his absence.

The Queen smiled, laughed, and exchanged handshakes with the citizens, all the while scanning the crowd for golden hair and startling blue eyes. A few times, she had thought she had found him, but her eyes always deceived her.

Zelda smiled until her face hurt, and shook hands until her wrist went numb before she was finally able to slip away from the crowd. Queen Zelda dipped behind tall columns and darted between buildings, trying to hide from the people and find her disappearing love at the same time. She searched the whole city, and still found no sign of him. It wasn't until the sun was dipping behind the hills that she finally found her Hero.

Zelda's feet had grown tired while she searched for him, and the continuous music had become overwhelming. The Queen sought refuge out the South gate of Castle Town. She breathed in the fresh air and leaned against the stone railing, gazing down at the small pool of water in the fountain beneath her. The gurgle of water filled her ears, and the Queen sighed, taking in the serenity. It was then that she saw him, his back facing her.

Link sat on the top stair of the lower level, staring out into Southern Hyrule Field. The pale marble steps were bathed in the amber glow of sunset, which reflected into Link's hair and turned it a soft orange. He hadn't noticed her yet, because his eyes were locked on the sun, glowing a bright shade of red. Zelda smiled, fascinated by it-the crimson reminded her of roses, or rubies, or...

Her smile faltered. She understood why Link was so drawn to the sun; its rare shade matched the eyes of a certain princess. The twilight sun lowered behind Hyrule field, turning the grass into amber flames.

A sudden understanding appeared to Zelda as the sun faded-why Link was so somber on his own Festival, and why he had opted to vanish rather than enjoy himself. True, two years ago to the day, Link had defeated Ganondorf and fulfilled his prophecy as the Legendary Hero, but that was also the day Midna had shattered the mirror. Two years ago to the day, Link's love had vanished from his world forever. He may have gained recognition, fame, admiration, but in the end, he had lost her, and that was all that mattered to him.

Before Zelda knew what she was doing, she found herself walking towards him, closer and closer. Zelda knew Link heard her long before she sat down, but he made no move to acknowledge her.

"Link," she said softly. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes. "Link, I'm sorry." He was looking straight at her now. "I know you miss her," Zelda watched as his eyes widened. "and this whole festival is just a painful reminder, isn't it?"

He was silent for a few moments, observing Zelda with his keen eyes. Finally, he tore his eyes away and stared at the sky. The first few stars had already come out.

"Yeah. I-I do miss her. A lot." Zelda gulped, his words hurting her more than she expected. "And I'm not that big on parties." His eyes found Zelda's again. "I do appreciate the effort, I just.." he left the sentence hanging.

"I know. I don't really like them either." Zelda smiled as he arched his eyebrows. "I know I seem like I do, but it's all just an act, really."

"Well," Link said, "you sure have a convincing facade then. Did they teach you that in Princess School?"

Zelda chuckled softly, pulling at her blue-laced gloves. "Yes, I did learn that in my Princess Training."

Link laughed quietly

"This whole 'royalty' gig is kind of a pain, isn't it?" He asked, blowing a stray strand of hair out of his face.

"It has good days and bad." Zelda responded neutrally.

"Do you like being a Queen?" Link peered into her eyes, making Zelda struggled to breath normally.

"Sometimes. I like helping people, and most of the time, that's what I get to do, but...some things are just out of my control. I hate having people run to me, begging for help, and I can't do anything for them." The Queen studied her hands, watching the soft fabric of her gloves ripple over her fingers.

"I guess that's what makes you a great Queen." Link said softly. Zelda blinked and her mouth fell open, but no words came out.

"You care more about your people than you care about yourself. That's why you laid down that sword." Link said. Zelda knew what he meant. Her mind flashed back to the day of Zant's invasion, when she was given the option of giving up her throne or giving up her people.

"Thank you, Link..I..." Zelda stared down at her feet. As a Queen, she was used to receiving compliments, and usually they had no affect on her, but with him, it was...different. _Everything_ was different.

Her eyes snapped back to Link as he began to speak again.

"Zelda," he sighed. "I'm not very good at telling how I feel, I'm not much of a talker at all, really," he brushed a hand through his hair, making it stick up in odd angles. "But I notice all the things you sacrifice for those people, and it's impressive what you do for them. They're lucky to have a Queen like you."

Zelda sat back, once again shocked by his words. A hundred responses ran through her mind, but none of them seemed adequate. Having no better response, the Queen settled for a simple "Thank you."

Another bout of silence came after, but this time Zelda didn't feel the same tension as she had before. The quiet was sewn from understanding rather than awkward constriction. For the first time since their arranged marriage, Zelda felt completely comfortable around him, and he felt the same. Together, they laid on the cold marble steps and watched the stars appear, listening to the gentle waves of Castle Town music.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I keep getting more follows/favorites, you guys are so amazing! So I'm going to the mountains for a few days, and I might not have wifi. If I do, I'll have the next chapter posted tomorrow, but no promises. However, I can promise that I'll do my best. All the support you guys give me is extremely encouraging, I can't even express how valuable each of you are to me. Thank you allll!**

 **Disclaimer: Zelda goes to Nintendo. (Do I have to do this every time?)**

"All the preparations are complete, Your Highness," A silver-clad soldier called to his Queen. "Are you ready for departure?"

"Yes, whenever the driver is ready." Queen Zelda stuck her head out the open flap of the covered wagon. The soldier called to the driver and immediately a whip sounded from the front. The horses started moving, dragging the caravan along behind them. The Queen peeked out at the assortment of soldier and servants who rode alongside her, carefully guarding the Queen's wagon. It was their duty to protect the royal family, even if some members refused the protection. Zelda sighed as she watched Link ride ahead with the other leading soldiers, chatting and laughing with them. When the voyage was first proposed, Link was given a seat next to the Queen in the royal caravan, but of course, he refused.

"King or not, it's still my job to protect the Queen and watch out for my men." Link had declared stubbornly. So instead of riding in the safety of the wagon, Link rode horseback with his soldiers, shooting down goblins all the way. Typical Link.

Zelda sighed and leaned back in her seat. She pulled an envelope from her bag, unfolded the paper content and raised it to her eyes.

" _Your Highness, Queen Zelda,_

 _I wish to bring the poor state of Kakariko Village to your attention. During the Twilight Invasion, our village suffered horribly, and the effects of that time still pry on us. I humbly plead you to send an inspector to view the damage of the village and perhaps set up a fund to repair some of the buildings. Thank you._

 _In All Respect,_

 _Renaldo, Kakariko Village Shaman."_

Zelda had received the letter the day after Link's Festival, which was two weeks past already. After much time and bargaining with the council, Zelda had decided to see the village herself. Part of the reason was to inspect the damage, but she also wanted to personally thank Renaldo for his contribution during the Invasion.

The sounds of shouting aroused Zelda from her thoughts. She cautiously peered out the wagon as a flaming arrow shot past. She gasped as her soldiers instantly flew into battle, shooting, stabbing, and fighting off goblin archers. A few guards had closed around Zelda's wagon, blocking the Queen from any stray arrows. Thanks to Link, most of the goblins were cleared in only minutes, but one remaining enemy drug itself up from the ground and took aim. Unfortunately, none of the soldiers noticed the goblin.

"Look out!" Zelda shouted, but the guards failed to hear her warning. Her eyes darted to the soldiers standing guard. None of them saw the threat. In a split second decision, Zelda lunged out of the protected caravan and rolled onto the damp grass of Hyrule Field. Her world slowed as she felt the bite of crisp morning air, the solid impact of the earth, the drops of dew seep into her dress. As soon as her body hit the ground, she rolled and propelled herself up on her feet.

"Queen Zelda!" She heard the guards yell frantically. The Queen ignored their protests. Instead, she pulled the bow off a guard's back and stole an arrow from his pouch. She set the arrow into place and drew back the string, just as the green goblin performed the same action. Both arches squinted and took aim, but only one fired.

The Queen's arrow sped through the air with dangerous precision, cutting through the breeze and into the heart of its target. The goblin fell, its flaming arrow and bow still clutched in its hand. Zelda let out a relieved sigh and dropped the bow to her side, a satisfied smile tracing her lips.

"My Queen!" The soldiers shouted. Their voices echoed around the field as they cheered for her. She blushed slightly as they chanted "Queen Zelda," over and over again. Over their voices, she heard the steady beat of Epona's hoofs draw up to her. Her eyes flitted to Link as he leaned down from Epona to speak to her.

"Nice aim, Your Majesty." He joked. Her heart faltered at the twinkle in his eye. _That_ was new.

"Thank you, Your Majest Number Two." She replied, her eyes matching the same playful sparkle.

"Maybe you should be leading these soldiers." He grinned as servants flocked around the Queen, fussing about that grass stains on her dress.

"I don't think my hand-maidens would like that very much." Zelda laughed.

"Come now, Your Highness. Let's not get that dress any dirtier." the maidens fawned, ushering Zelda back into the carriage. Link snorted and turned Epona around, trotting back to the front lines. Even after he left, the Queen couldn't remove the ridiculous smile from her face. He had _complimented_ her. She peeked out the wagon, trying to catch sight of him again, but he was lost in the line of soldiers.

The hand-maidens crowded the wagon and pulled her back, all the while muttering about the green grass marks left on her gown. Queen Zelda saw only minor stains, and at the moment, didn't really care about the state of her dress. She had saved a soldier's life, and earned a compliment from her husband, King, Hero, ect.

"Queen Zelda!" one of the hand-maidens groaned, "You could have been killed!" Zelda raised one eyebrow.

"But I wasn't." she responded, feeling a little bit like a child arguing with her mother.

"Why would you risk your life like that?" the maiden asked, her wide eyes drowning in concern.

"That creature was taking aim at one of the soldiers." Zelda furrowed her brow. "I couldn't let that arrow fly." The Queen shook her head, wondering why the maiden would ask that question in the first place. Wasn't it obvious?

"He's just a soldier, Your Majesty. Soldiers can be replaced. You shouldn't put your life on the line for one man." The maiden shook her head disapprovingly. The others nodded in agreement, and Zelda frowned, not believing that the woman had really said that. Suddenly, Link's words from two weeks before came rushing back to her.

 _"You care more about your people than you do yourself...I guess that's what makes you great Queen."_ Her face warmed at the memory.

She dropped her head, not as a sign of submission, but to calm her racing anger. When she trusted herself enough to speak without yelling, the Queen raised her head and peered deep into the servant's eyes.

"And two years ago, Link was just an ordinary farmer. A goat herder. Easily replaced, right?" She asked, her voice dangerously quiet. The women frowned, wrinkles of confusion forming around her eyes and forehead.

"His Highness Link is different, he's...well, he's the King!" she exclaimed, bobbing her head in response to her own words.

"But he wasn't always the King." Zelda began. Her eyes scanned the face of each hand-maiden. "He wasn't always the Hero. He used to be a nobody. _Replaceable_. Just like that soldier." She said. Slowly, her soft voice gained volume. "You never know who somebody will grow up to be. That's why every life," Zelda gently grabbed the maiden's hand, "is important. Yours, mine, the soldier's. Yes, I may be the Queen, but that doesn't make my life any more valuable than his. The citizens of Hyrule are not here to serve me, but I am here to serve them as their Queen and leader. So please, never say that again." Zelda finished, the smile wiped from her face. The hand-maidens all stared at her, mouths hanging open in complete shock.

"I-I'm sorry, My Queen," the hand maiden blushed furiously and stared at her feet. "I didn't mean to offend you-"

Zelda held up her hand, stopping the women mid-sentence. "There is no need to apologize," Zelda squeezed the maiden's hand and gave her a warm smile. "Just remember what I said."

The women nodded, determination and relief swirling in her dark eyes. "I'll never forget it, My Queen. I can promise you that."

It was past midday by the time the Royal Caravan pulled through Kakariko gates. Zelda swatted at flies and wiped away beads of sweat that lined her forehead just below the hairline. The wagon slowed to a stop and Zelda climbed out, politely refusing help from the maidens and soldiers. From the other side of the wagon, Zelda heard a young girl's voice call out.

"Link, is that you?" A slender girl passed through the doors of a large hut beside the fairy spring. Zelda peered past the horses to see the girl run to Link and wrap her arms around him. Zelda approached them quietly, not wanting to interrupt them.

"How are you, Luda?" Link hugged her back, then released her and took a step back. "You sure have grown up," he said, fondly ruffing up her dark hair. She giggled and swatted his hand away.

"Cut it out, Link! You're making it all frizzy!" She chided him while running a hand through her hair to untangle it and flatten the frizzy strands.

"Last time I saw you, your hair was barely past your chin. Now look, it's all the way past your shoulders!" Link ignored her protests and grabbed a strand of Luda's raven hair, inspecting and measuring it. Luda yelled at him again, though her tone remained playful.

"Alright, fine." Link grinned impishly and let Luda's hair slip from his fingers. "Where's your dad?"

"I'll get him," Luda turned on her heel and raced back into the tent-like building. Link watched her go, then surveyed the village, his arms crossed over his chest.

He muttered to himself, a distant, absent look coming over his eyes. Zelda shifted her weight from foot to foot. She almost felt like she was intruding on something, the way his eyes seemed to be gazing at everything and nothing at all; it was like he was reliving a fond memory that she would never be able to see.

The Queen had been unaware that she was staring at him until he turned to her rather sharply.

"What?" His voice snapped like a whip, making a startled gasp escape the Queen's lips.

"Excuse me?" She frowned, her elegant eyebrows lowering over her eyes.

"You were looking at me funny." Link narrowed his eyes like he was confused about her surprise. Zelda fought off a blush and raised her chin indignantly, refusing to embarrass herself in front of him and the royal escort.

"Do I not have the right to look at you?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Must I pay a fee to gaze upon your handsome face?" Even as she said the words, the Queen marveled at her own audacity. She had to bite down the urge to drop her eyes when Link turned to face her fully, amusement evident on his sharp features.

"Normally, I would say twenty rupees," He quipped back, letting a thoughtful expression come over him. "But for you, I'll settle for ten."

Zelda could faintly hear the royal escort chuckling, but her attention was locked onto Link's half-smirk. She felt her own lips curve into a smile and she parted them to deliver a sharp retort.

"Ah, Link! Queen Zelda! This is certainly a pleasant surprise!"

Zelda snapped her mouth shut as Renaldo approached them, interrupting their playful quarrel.

"I suppose I should be calling you King now, shouldn't I?" Renaldo gave Link a wide grin and bowed before him.

"Just Link is fine." the King responded lightly, shaking the Shaman's sun-tanned hand.

"It's been too long, Link," Renaldo said, "but I know how busy you must be now." Link nodded mutely, an apologetic smile on his face.

"And, My Queen," the village Shaman then turned to Zelda, his contagious smile reaching the Queen and spreading its affects on her. "What an honor it is to finally meet you." He bowed deeply. "When I asked for an inspector, I never expected I would get to meet the Royal Family themselves!"

Zelda dipped her head in gratitude and extended her hand to him. The Shaman kissed her white glove as she spoke.

"It is my understanding that you sheltered the Ordon children during the Twilight Invasion." Zelda glanced at Link, who nodded. "And I wish to personally thank you for that, Renaldo. The sacrifices you made to ensure their safety has not slipped past my attention." Zelda held in a laugh when she saw the Shaman's eyes widen at her praise. "The children are not only citizens of Hyrule, but are also very important to Link, and therefor extraordinarily important to me." She ended with a graceful curtsy, making the Royal Entourage gasp and mumble among themselves. It was not everyday that a Queen curtsied to a commoner.

"T-thank you, My Queen." Renaldo stuttered breathlessly, lowering himself into another deep bow. Zelda merely nodded, ignoring the hushed gossip of the hand-maidens

"Will you give us a tour, perhaps?" The Queen let her eyes wander over the collapsing buildings.

"Yes, of course," Renaldo nodded, calling his his daughter over. They had a quick conversation and then Luda bobbed her head and motioned for the Royal Escort to follow her. After the entourage disappeared into the Kakariko Inn, one of the last well-maintained buildings, Renaldo turned his attention back to the royal couple and spread out his hands. "As you can see, the village is...falling apart. The majority of the residents fled during the Twilight Invasion, leaving their homes abandoned." The Shaman began to slowly walk down the main isle of the village, often gesturing at the shack houses on the sides.

Each house Zelda came across seemed increasingly worse, and a lump of remorse formed in her throat. For two years, she had let Kakariko Village suffer while she funded extravagant festivals behind the walls of Castle Town. The Queen bit her lip, idly listening to the drone of Renaldo's voice as he explained catastrophe after catastrophe.

"These homes were ravaged by Twili beasts..." Renaldo gestured to a small house with a collapsed roof. "The family," his voice got so quiet that Zelda had to lean in to hear him. "...they didn't make it." Zelda blinked, the lump in her throat expanding. The Shaman lowered his hand and stared at the home for several seconds, all cheeriness evaporated from his voice. Zelda's lips parted without her permission and a cracked, whispering voice reached her ears.

"How many were lost?"

Zelda didn't recognize the voice as her own until after the question was out. Renaldo raised his head to her, his hazel eyes staring into hers. The look between them was exchanged not from a commoner to a Queen, but as two people mourning the loss of loved ones.

"Too many, my Queen."

The words fell from his lips like glass and shattered into silence. Zelda closed her eyes, feeling the shards of that one phrase cut into her deeper than any weapon could. Her breathing became ragged and her eyes stung from the tears desperately trying to escape. She felt like she was about to fall. Her head spun and the Queen realized she really was about to fall. Her knees grew week, but before they could collapse, a strong hand intertwined itself with hers. The hand brought her back to balance, supporting her as she held on to it tightly. She didn't dare open her eyes, knowing that the tears would spill out if she did. So she waited, listening as her breathing gradually slowed into a normal pace.

"My Queen?" Renaldo's voice rose over the sound of her breathing. "Are you alright?" Even with her eyes closed, Zelda could feel the deep concern radiating from the Shaman's eyes. Zelda's fingers tightened around the hand's, gently running over the rough texture of old leather. A new voice whispered into her ear, slightly deeper than Renaldo's, and much softer.

"You can't blame yourself for this, Zelda." The hand squeezed hers back. "There's nothing you could do to stop it." Zelda listened to him and let his voice soothe her. His leather glove rubbed against her soft skin comfortingly.

"Your Highness?" Renaldo asked again, his voice barely above a whisper. Zelda felt her breath return and she opened her eyes, satisfied that the tears had already disappeared.

"I'm sorry, Renaldo." She gave him a weak smile. "It's just difficult for me, thinking of all that my people have had to suffer."

Renaldo nodded slowly, his own eyes glazed in a shiny coat. "There is a certain burden that survivors must carry." He closed his eyes. "A guilt that can never be reconciled. But, my Queen, if we bury our heads in the past, we will never be able to forge a better future."

The hand intertwined in Zelda's relaxed, and for a second, she thought he was letting go, but soon the hand was back, fingers tightly wrapped around hers. She let her eyes stray from Renaldo and fall upon the hand. Seeing it, her mind was transported back to a memory from two years before.

 _"Link, Chosen Hero," Zelda had said to him, staring into his blue eyes, so full of life. "Lend us the last of your power." She closed her eyes and bowed her head to the the glowing water of the Light Realm. He had said nothing, and only the gurgle of the Light Spirits' Spring filled her ears. Then, she heard him move and opened her eyes to see his hand extended towards her. She straightened and placed her ivory-gloved hand in his leather-gloved hand, a look of understanding passed between them..._

Now, their hands were clutched even tighter than they had been that day. Zelda studied his brown glove, worn over time, but the color still as rich as the bark of the trees in Ordon Forest. Still as dark as it was that day, years ago, when she had rode behind him and fired light arrows at Ganondorf. Lost in her memories, Zelda wrapped both of her hands around his. She memorized the texture of his leather glove, never wanting to forget it. Her eyes traveled from Link's glove up to his eyes, where she was shocked to find blue irises staring back at her. For once, Zelda didn't drop his gaze, but held on to it, wishing to pause time and keep the moment forever.

"Zelda," Link said, his voice softer than she had ever heard it before. She waited for him to continue, but he didn't. Instead, Link pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. Zelda fell into the hug, burying her face in his shoulder. "I'm sorry." He said, his voice muffled by her hair. The Queen never asked why he apologized, and never noticed when Renaldo sneaked away in silence. She never knew how much time had passed before they parted, but she knew that something had changed in his eyes. Somehow, his deep blue irises felt less like ice and more like sapphires glittering under the afternoon sun. And, when she melted into his arms, Zelda felt the ice behind his eyes melt along with her.

 **End Note: I thought of the goblin part because I think Zelda is a lot tougher than people give her credit for. I mean, she did help Link kick Ganondorf's butt. I feel like she's really loving and caring as a Queen, but she can hold her own if she has to. I know some of you probably wanted a big kiss at the end, but I'm not quite done with the story yet. Sorry!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Back from the mountains! By the way, I'm planning this story to be about 10 chapters, most of which I already have written out. So here's chapter 4, and thanks again for your support and patience.**

Zelda stared blankly at the ceiling as she lay in bed at Kakariko Inn, unable to fall asleep. The temperature had only cooled a few degrees since nightfall, and it was still hot enough that the blankets wrapped around her like a smothering weight, and her hair clung to her neck. Even without the temperature, Zelda felt as though she was radiating with warmth, considering her mind kept returning to the comforting embrace Link had given her a few hours earlier. She sighed, wishing he was still with her.

The Queen adjusted her pillow and stuck her legs out the side of the blanket, enjoying the open air on her toes. Eventually, the Queen threw the blanket to the ground to rid herself of the smothering heat. She groaned and rubbed her eyelids, pulled them down, squeezed them shut as tight as she could, but for some reason, she couldn't get them to _stay_ shut. It didn't help that everytime her eyes closed, she envisioned Link's smile and his cerulean eyes gazing down on her, so full of life. She could feel his fingers curled around her own, and his leather glove rubbing against her palm.

"Stop it!" Zelda smacked her forehead with her palm. "It was just _one_ hug!" she reminded herself. "That doesn't mean he loves you. He was just being nice." Zelda's voiced lowered with the last statement, dropping from a shout to a deluded mumble.

She sat up, paced the tiny room, sat back down, stood up, and repeated the movements several times before she threw herself back down on the bed and buried her face in the uncomfortably warm pillow. The Queen grumbled into the soft headrest, her words so indecipherable that even _she_ had no clue what her lips had uttered. After a few muffled groans, she pulled her face from the pillow so that she could breathe. Her drooping eyes rested on her hand, where the faint outline of three connecting triangles lingered.

"Wisdom, huh?" She said to the triangles. "Any advice, O goddesses of the Triforce?" Zelda waited for an answer, knowing full well that it wouldn't respond. If it did, well, she would really be in trouble then. Add insanity to her list of problems...

The Queen rose and started towards the only window in her bedroom. It was small, but enough to give her a breathtaking view of the Fairy Spring. She laid her head on her hand, watching the luminescent orbs dart about, performing their surreal dance. With growing fascination, Zelda studied the softly glowing fairies as they cast a gentle fuchsia shadow on the water. Her lips gradually curved into a tender smile. She wondered if the Twilight Realm had such beautiful creatures-such captivating sights. Would Link have been happier there, wrapped in the soft turquoise arms of the Twilight Princess? Would he have missed the rolling fields of Hyrule, the vibrant Fairy Springs; would he have missed her? Zelda shook her head vigorously to clear away the thoughts. There was no use in asking painful questions, especially if she already knew the answer.

Her eyes returned to the Fairy Spring, but for the first time, she noticed another figure lounging in the shadows. Two, actually. The Queen strained her eyes, trying to pull a face from out of the darkness. After some adjusting, her eyes picked up dark hair and white robes on the taller figure, and golden locks on the shorter person. Renaldo and Link.

Zelda's attention strayed from the fairies in favor of the two men, who appeared to be deep in conversation. Their voices couldn't reach her, but Zelda saw Renaldo moving his hands, no doubt giving an explanation of some kind. At the same time, Link dropped his chin and crossed his arms over his chest, his boot meaninglessly toeing the water. After a few seconds, the blonde King raised his head and nodded, exchanging a few more words with the Shaman before Renaldo patted Link's shoulder and strode back to his hut at the edge of the Spring. Link didn't follow, but stood where he was, seemingly engaged in the Fairies' dance as well. Zelda smiled, watching him shift his weight between feet every few seconds, and tilt his head from side to side to get a better view of the fairies. A fairy came right up to his nose, staring him down. Link lifted his finger to the pink orb and it rested there for only a second or two before speeding off to join the others. Link dropped his hand to his side and his shoulders slumped slightly. Zelda frowned, her eyebrows lightly scrunching together.

 _"Is he alright?"_ the Queen thought to herself. As if he heard the Queen's silent question, Link turned and looked at the Inn, right into her window. Zelda immediately dropped to the floor, her face turning brighter than the fairies. _"Please tell me he didn't see that!"_

Her heart beat was so loud, the Queen was surprised it didn't shake the entire Inn. Zelda squeezed her eyes shut, picturing how ridiculous she must have looked-the shocked expression she wore before collapsing to the ground. She would have laughed if her face wasn't pressed so forcefully into the floor. Zelda waited, counting her breaths until twenty before she dared stand up again. Slowly, her Royal Highness peeked over the window frame, eyes squinted in deep concentration as she searched for his lean figure. She scanned the Spring up and down, left to right, but Link escaped her gaze.

"Where _is_ he?" Zelda gritted her teeth and gripped the windowpane with more strength than necessary. "He _couldn't_ have-"

Knock, knock.

The sudden noise made Zelda jump into the air, smacking her nose against the windowpane. She hissed and covered the wound with her hand. Her teeth clenched against the sharp pain. With one eye open and the other squeezed shut, Zelda made her way to the door and opened it for the late night guest.

"Link!" She exclaimed loudly, her hand instantly falling from her injured nose.

"Shh," he hissed, quickly checking over his shoulders. "You're gonna wake everyone up," he warned her in a low, whispering tone.

"Sorry," Zelda covered her mouth as if she could retract the shout.

"Zelda, I was wondering," Link started. His eyes stared intently at the ground, then suddenly shot up to her face. "If, uh, what happened to your nose?" He cocked his head to the side and furrowed his eyebrows. Zelda's hand flew back to her nose, finding a little splotch of blood where she had hit it.

"I fell." She said quickly, praying that her blush wouldn't betray her. Link's face took on a confused expression, which made Zelda want to giggle like a little girl, but he didn't question her.

"Uh, okay.." he responded, his hushed voice still twinged with hesitant doubt.

"You were saying?" Queen Zelda prodded, desperately wanting to change the subject to anything but her cut nose.

"Oh, yeah," Link nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "I couldn't sleep, and I wanted to see if you were busy. Sleeping, or, something."

Zelda blinked, figuring that she had misunderstood him. She replayed the words over in her mind, and still couldn't believe them. Her mouth opened and closed several times before anything came out.

"You want to do something?" She asked. Immediately, her mind berated her for the words. _"That's what he just said! Could you phrase that a little more awkwardly, O Bearer of Wisdom?"_ A little voice inside her head mocked.

"Yeah." Link answered, rubbing his neck again. "But I see you're in your sleeping clothes, so maybe another time." He started to turn away.

"No!" Zelda shouted again and snatched his arm before he could slip away. She winced at the volume of her own voice. "I mean," Zelda spoke again, much quieter this time, "no."

Link's eyes switched between Zelda's hand around his wrist and her adorable expression, with her lips still forming an oval from the "no." And, despite his warnings against loud voices, the Hero King burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Zelda craned her neck to see him as he doubled over in his laughing fit."Link?"

When his laughing finally subsided, Link grabbed her along and pulled the Queen after him. "Nothing," he replied with a wide smile gracing his face, "let's go."

The Queen didn't object as he led her out the stuffy building, their fingers still intertwined together.

"Where are we going?" she stumbled after him.

"That depends," he answered with a side smirk. "Where do you want to go?"

Zelda walked behind him quietly, different sites around Kakariko piling up in her mind. Like a stack of papers, the Queen shuffled through the ideas until she found the ideal location.

 _"Not the graveyard-too creepy at night,"_ she thought. Then, the image of floating spheres raced across her eyes and she grinned.

"The Fairy Spring."

Link nodded his approval, and they were off.

Zelda grabbed the sides of her indigo nightgown, pulling it past her feet so that she could dip them into the cool spring water. Link pulled off his boots and followed her example. They had only intended to go that far into the water, but as the night drew on, the lure of the fairies increased, and before long, the King and Queen were in water up to their hips, watching as the balls of light darted around their heads. Zelda laughed as a tiny one made a nest in Link's hair and refused to move, no matter how much he tried to snatch it away.

"Pink looks good on you, Link!" Zelda teased him as he tried in vain to rid himself of the unwanted guest.

"Whatever," Link sighed and slumped, leaving the fairy to enjoy its home in his golden tresses. The fairy's glow cast a rosy shadow over his hair, making parts of it a soft shade of crimson. Link smiled at her and blew a strand of hair away from his eyes. She blushed, noticing that they were only inches apart, but she didn't back off. No way she was going to let this moment pass by.

The light caught in his eyes, making them swirl with a thousand different shades of blue. One second, Zelda felt as if his eyes reflected the innocent shine of a spring sky, then it changed to the rich gloss of a blue rupee. The next instant, Zelda felt as if she was gazing into the depths of Lake Hylia, so calm, yet so powerful, so sincere, so-pink?

A fairy darted between them, making Link and Zelda jerk apart in surprise. The Hero laughed.

"Aren't they beautiful?" Link asked, holding the fairy up on his index finger.

"Yeah," Zelda watched in captivation as his eyes changed shades. Neither realized that they were talking about two completely different things. Finally, Zelda tore her eyes away from him and watched the pink shadows race across the water. She cleared her throat, building up the courage to speak.

"Link, thanks for today." She could see his head turn to her in the corner of her eye. "For supporting me." The Queen gently chewed on her lower lip. "I didn't want to look weak, but it's just hard, thinking about what those people, _my_ people, had to suffer through. I'm glad that you were there," she told him, "I don't know how I would have held up if you weren't." He nodded silently, and remained that way for a few moments.

"You aren't weak, Zelda." he finally spoke, his voice barely audible over the gurgle of the spring. "I never thought you were. A weak princess wouldn't have stood by her people instead of fleeing that day." Zelda closed her eyes, thinking of the day he spoke about.

 _Standing by the throne, sword in hand, she struggled to repress her hatred, her dread, as the Royal Soldiers fell one by one. Then he came, armed with two Twilight Beasts. At the sight of him, her two remaining guards trembled in terror, but refused to abandon their Princess. As for the Princess, she watched him with hopeless rage, barely contained under her mask of confidence._

 _"It's time for you to choose:" the Twilight Conqueror's raspy voice echoed around the cold halls of her falling kingdom, "Surrender or die."_

 _The Princess gritted her teeth, but made no outward indication of her emotion._

 _"Oh, yes," he continued, "a question for all the land and people of Hyrule."_

 _Princess Zelda's eyes flitted to one of her soldiers, suspended in the air by the midnight claw of a Twilight Beast. He struggled, pried at the claws and kicked his legs, but the Beast held strong._

 _"Life?" The voice rasped, calling back the Princess' attention, "Or Death?"_

 _Beside her, the two guards gasped, turning their petrified eyes to their Princess. She could feel their fear and the fear of the remaining soldiers. Her eyes passed over the Hylian knights, their once gleaming armor now dulled and matted with blood. Some of them continued to fight against the powerful grips of the Twili Beasts. Others lay still. With a sinking heart, the Princess knew that the still soldiers would never move again, and the ones still fighting would soon join them in an eternal rest._

 _It was then that her mask shattered, and a ragged breath past her trembling lips. She had lost. Surrender, or let her people suffer the same fate as the bleeding soldiers._

 _Her fingers weakened and the sword slipped from her grasp. The clatter of the blade falling to the marble floor resounded throughout the silent hall of the Princess' Court.._

Link's hand tightened around Zelda's once more, bringing the Queen from her thoughts. She hadn't realized that she had been crying until little drops fell from her eyes and splashed into the Fairy Spring.

"You did it to protect them," Link reminded her. She nodded. "And you did." Zelda met his eyes, letting the warmth flow through them and calm her thundering heart. "And you haven't changed at all." Link smiled. "With the soldier today, you saved his life, Zelda." His voice grew in volume with each word he spoke. "You can't do that and be called 'weak'. Crying because you're mourning the death of your people is not weak." Link cupped her face in his hands. "You're strong, Zelda. So strong. Don't you _ever_ call yourself weak again. Do you understand?"

The Queen didn't break eye-contact as she slowly nodded, her face bouncing against his hands.

"Say it." he commanded

"I understand." Zelda mumbled.

"What do you understand?" He pressed further. Zelda blushed, feeling slightly childish.

"That I'm strong." she said softly. Link shook his head, blonde hair flying in all directions.

"Not loud enough. You gotta mean it."

"That I'm strong." she repeated, voice louder this time.

"What are you not?" Link asked.

"Weak." A tiny smile began to blossom on the Queen's lips.

"Repeat after me," Link demanded, his hands still cupping her rosy cheeks. "I, Queen Zelda of Hyrule.." He waited as she repeated the phrase. "Am not weak.."

"Am not weak.."

"because I am strong." Link finished.

"because I am strong."

"Good. Now say it all together." Link grinned and lightly tapped his hands against her cheeks. She complied hesitantly, feeling a blush spread across her face, followed by a small grin.

"Louder!" Link shook her face for emphasis, making the Queen laugh. She said the phrase again, still not as loud as Link wanted.

"Looouderrrr." He slurred, giving her face another shake. Finally, she knocked his hands away and stepped back, tilted her head back, and shouted as loud as her lips permitted:

"I, QUEEN ZELDA OF HYRULE, AM NOT WEAK, BECAUSE I AM STRONG!" She paused a moment to catch her breath, noticing that all the fairies had flown as far away from her as possible. A few seconds of silence passed between the King and Queen, both grinning stupidly at each other. Finally, the voice of a soldier leaning out the window of Kakariko Inn broke the quiet.

"Queen Zelda? Is...is everything alright?"

Immediately, Link and Zelda collapsed in unrestrained laughter, holding their sides and falling into the spring. All the grief, guilt, and sorrow melted away from the Queen as she rolled around in the spring, her laughter mixing with Link's. They continued that way until both of them were drenched in spring water and their voices were hoarse. Several times, the laughing had ceased, and the two had sat up, just to see each other again and fall into another fit of laughter.

Renaldo watched the two with his hands clasped behind his back. "If that boy would just let the past be the past, he would be much happier." The Shaman smiled as the Royal Couple rose from the water and their eyes connected. Instantly, they fell back into the spring and the laughter picked up again. Renaldo let out a breathy laugh of his own. "They're good for each other." He muttered. "Whether they see it or not." He let their laughter fill his ears as he strode away, still smiling. "They'll see it eventually. Some things just take time."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: So I just started band camp today. (yes, I know I'm a nerd, but aren't we all? At least a little bit? I mean, you are reading a fanfiction on a videogame, sooo..) But rambling aside, the updates should still be daily, but I'll be posting later in the day, after I get back from camp. Don't want you guys to think I'm slacking or something.**

Queen Zelda exited the Council Hall in perfect poise, despite the frustration building up inside her. The noble men on her administration could be...rather difficult. However angry they made her feel, the Queen would never break her facade of confidence in front of them. So, she finished the meeting with her view made clear and her head held high. After Council Meetings such as the last one, Zelda would venture into the library for some peace and quiet, considering the old room was nearly forgotten by the castle residents.

She pushed through the heavy wooden doors of the library and made her way to the back of the long room. No one ever thought to look for her there, so she could talk to herself, yell, or cry if she wanted to, and there would be no one there to see it.

Zelda settled down in an old chair in the very back of the library. The light was horribly dim, but just enough for the Queen to make out the piles of dusty books sitting beside her. She contemplated taking one to read, like she used to in her younger days, but found her mind too stressed by the problems approached in the Council Meeting.

Zelda squeezed her eyes shut, trying to reign in the fury that poured off her in waves.

"How can they be so rude? So inconsiderate? I want to _help_ the people, and they just want more money all to themselves!" She growled at the books. "How could they?" she yelled again, imploring the ancient novels for answers.

"I don't think they're going to answer you." A soft voice chuckled behind her. Zelda froze, her cheeks heating up and her heart stopping. Embarrassing situation or not, the young Queen would have had the same reaction. Her heart always slowed down when she heard that smooth voice. Since the visit to Kakariko, the effects he had on her had only increased their power.

"Link?" she turned around slowly, hoping the dim library light would hide her blush. He smiled softly. "What are you doing in the library?" she asked.

Link shuffled his feet. "Well, there aren't many books in Ordon, and uh, I thought I would take advantage of all these." He said, looking around the tall shelves lined with books. Zelda's heart sank with guilt when she realized that he had probably never owned a book before. Link's voice came back, snapping the Queen out of her thoughts.

"What's got you so upset, Your Highness?" He asked casually, leaning up against the bookshelf, his arms crowded with old books.

The Queen sighed, running a hand through her soft chestnut hair. "The council is just.." she paused, searching for the appropriate word.

"Horrible, rude, obnoxious?" He listed off, his eyebrows raised in curiosity.

Zelda grinned in laughter. "Exactly."

"What did they do this time?" Link asked, setting his pile of books down and sitting at Zelda's feet. Normally, Link should attend Council Meetings, but he was pulled away last second on an urgent matter. Sometimes he would skip out on them because he easily grew bored with political talk. So, many meetings were left to the Queen, who was much better with politics anyway.

"I proposed that we should take some of the money for the festivals and spend it on renovating Kakariko instead, but they would rather have that poor village suffer than lose any luxuries on their ridiculous festivals!" Zelda shouted, losing her poise and throwing her hands in the air. She shook her head in disgust.

"Don't get too upset, Zelda. They'll come around eventually."

She gave him a doubtful look, which he ignored. "You know what cheers me up when I'm in a bad mood?" Link leaned forward, as if he was sharing a valuable secret.

"What?" Zelda knit her eyebrows.

"Stealing food from the kitchen."

"Link!" Zelda chided. Her white-gloved hand flew to her mouth to hold in a laugh. "You're the King, all you have to do is ask!" Her eyes glittered like sun specks dancing on the sea.

"But that's no fun," he grinned mischievously. "I like seeing their confused faces. Come on, you'll see." He stood abruptly, grabbing her gloved hand and pulling the Queen along with him.

She followed after him hesitantly, having no other choice.

The two traveled through the bustling castle, speeding past anyone who asked for their attention. The Queen buried her giggles at the surprised faces and fading cries of servants as she was pulled away.

"Your Highness!"

"Leave a message." Link shouted over his shoulder.

"My Queen?"

"She's busy right now."

"My King?"

"Not now. Kingly business to attend to." At this, Queen Zelda's attempts failed and a very un-queenly laugh emitted from her lips. She quickly muffled it with her free hand. Link pulled her through the growing crowd, darting between servants and nobles alike. Finally, they reached the doors to the Castle Kitchen and Link told her the plan. She did miss quite a bit of it because she was distracted by the way his eyes danced and glittered with excitement, but she understood her role.

Casually, Queen Zelda strode through the doors with her head held high. She walked to the opposite side of the room and turned to face the door. Immediately, all the chefs stopped what they were doing to gape at their Queen.

"Y-your Highness?" A portly woman asked. "Is there something we could do for you?"

"I am here to inquire about the dinner plans for tonight." She answered formally, her eyes focused on the portly woman who had spoken previously. The woman began to speak, stuttering slightly, but Queen's Zelda wasn't paying much attention. Her face remained impassive, and her blue eyes seemed locked on the chubby chef, but out of her peripheral vision, the Queen watched the door to the kitchen. Ever so slowly, the door slid open. Of course, nobody noticed because all eyes were locked on the Queen.

"..and I'm thinking we shall steam the Zora fish and serve it along a warm bowl of Ordon Pumpkin soup, and..." the chef continued her explanation as a puff of buttery hair appeared through the doorway, followed by squinting blue eyes.

Satisfied by Zelda's distraction, Link fully emerged from behind the door and ducked low to the ground. The chefs all had their back to him, but he remained in a crouched position anyway.

Slowly, the Legendary Hero sneaked across the kitchen to the buffet table where dishes of all kinds were neatly arranged.

"...Does all that sound good, Queen Zelda?" the chef asked, wringing her hands nervously. The gesture was not done out of fear, but hope that the Queen would find everything to her liking. No one wanted to disappoint her, out of pure respect for the noble Zelda.

The question snapped the Queen back to attention and she nodded her head several times.

"Yes," she answered, smiling broadly, "it certainly sounds like an amazing feast."

"Thank you, My Queen." the chef bowed her head humbly, a warm blush spreading across her plump cheeks.

"And for dessert?" Zelda asked, trying to keep their attention on herself rather than the thief sneaking up to the buffet table.

"Oh, yes!" the lady chef continued, clapping her hands together. "For dessert we have planned..."

Zelda bit down on her tongue in an attempt to extinguish her laughter. Link had reached the table and was picking off the food items one by one, stealing off the trays and cradling them in his arms. Apples, fine chocolates, dried pumpkin seeds were all taken captive by the mischievous King. His eyes darted up from the table to meet Zelda's, and he gave a quick nod on contact. Zelda gave no responding signal., not wanting to tip off the kitchen attendants.

Link started on his way back, slowly inching forward.

"..including those fine chocolates that you love so much, Your Highness, and.." the chef rattled on. Zelda struggled to hold her impassive facade, completely captivated by the dead serious expression on Link's face. He resembled a man going off to war, though the armful of sweets contradicted that.

Suddenly, Link stopped mid-step and froze, his icy eyes falling upon a crimson lobster placed on a tray all of its own. He reached out and snatched it off the sterling platter, dragging the whole lobster away and stuffing it in one of his empty pouches. This time, Zelda couldn't stop the laughter as it burst past her red lips, startling the whole kitchen. The Queen battled to regain her composure while Link returned to his crouched position and scampered towards the door.

"M-my Queen?" the chef asked, a hurt look covering her face. "Is something not to your approval?" She asked. Zelda's laughing ceased at the genuine concern in the lady's voice.

"No, no," Zelda shook her head dramatically. "Of course not!" She gave the chef her most brilliant, beaming smile. "I'm just laughing at how simply delightful it all sounds!" Zelda nodded her head to emphasize the point. "Please, continue!"

An expression of relief flashed across the chef's face, and a radiant smile split her lips. "Thank you, my Queen. As I was saying, the chocolate drizzled strawberries..."

Zelda's smile grew even brighter as Link managed to slip by the kitchen staff unnoticed and vanish out the door. The Queen was stuck in the kitchen for a few more minutes, listening to the chef describe each of the food items in painful detail. Her thoughts kept being overtaken by the luxurious feast Link had stolen, which was no doubt waiting for her in the bedroom already.

"..And that's about it. What do you think, Your Majesty?"The plump chef asked, anxiously awaiting her Queen's answer.

"I think it sounds marvelous." Zelda replied, dipping her head in admiration. "I so appreciate all you wonderful chefs." All of them blushed and exclaimed their humble "Thank yous" in response to her compliment.

Zelda started for the door. "Thank you for your time," she said, pushing the door open. "Such a blessing to have you all." They all waved and bowed as the Queen exited the kitchen. Immediately, she started up the stairwell to her royal bedroom, her mouth nearly watering at the thought of the food waiting. She managed to write off all the servants' questions with simple answers as she gracefully ascended the stairs. Her feet tapped each step only briefly before flying to the next one, all the way to the top. She was out of breath by the time she finally reached her bedroom door.

Queen Zelda burst through the door and instantly keeled over in laughter. Link was sitting cross-legged on her bed, surrounded in piles of sweets, extravagant fruits, and one very large lobster. He tapped the bed beside him, a huge, ridiculous grin plastered on his face. Zelda stood up straight and wiped the joyous tears from her eyes.

"Link," she walked towards the bed, continuing to laugh, "that was genius!"

"Wasn't it?" He smirked, popping a chocolate in his mouth.

"I lost it when you stole the lobster," the Queen confessed, smiling broadly. She sat beside him and took one of the chocolates for herself.

"Oh, no," Link mocked, throwing up his hands in fake surprise, "I'm just laughing at how simply delightful it all sounds!" He said in a poor-interpretation of her voice, sending Zelda into another fit of laughter. Link laughed along with her, while savoring the taste of a freshly grown apple.

"You're quite a good actress, you know." Link told her, taking another bite of his apple.

"And you're quite the thief." Zelda replied. "And you were right." She said, stealing another item from the pile of sweets.

Link's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, an expression that Zelda had come to adore.

"Right about what?" he asked.

"I _do_ feel better." She smiled. "And that _was_ a lot of fun."

"See?" Link grinned devilishly. "I'm always right." Zelda heard him say, right before the crack of a lobster shell.

 **Ending Note: Sorry this chapter is a little short. Chapter 6 is much longer. I thought of this when my sister and I were reminiscing about our childhood days, and she brought up the story of how we stole samples from Costco. They have that rule where you have to be 18 or with a parent to get free samples, so I came up with this genius plan that my sister would distract her and I would steal the food. One of my better ideas in life.**


	6. Chapter 6

A pile of papers towered in front of the Queen, staring her down with invisible eyes. The Queen, in turn, stared down the papers with an irritated, and very visible, set of eyes. She sighed in defeat, realizing that glaring at the papers wouldn't make them go away. Rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, and paper beats Queen.

Zelda wiggled in her seat and took the piece of paper from the very top of the pile. Her eyes drifted across it, quickly reading the lines before she signed her name at the bottom. She started a new pile of paper for the ones she had already signed. Reaching for the next one, the Queen felt an uncomfortable itch in her throat and an episode of coughing followed. She brushed it aside, took a sip of her tea, and continued. Most of the papers were taken care of with a careful eye and a quick signature. Zelda sped through them, but no matter how many times she wrote: _"Signed, Queen Zelda,"_ the stack hardly seemed to shrink at all. The Queen developed a pattern during her weary hours of paperwork in the Royal Office: Take paper, read paper, sign paper, have small coughing fit, take a sip of tea, repeat. Using this pattern, Zelda worked until her eyes glazed over and her hand cramped from so many signatures.

The Queen took a moment to watch the door with tired, blurry eyes. She waited, expecting it to open any second. Usually, about this time Link would barge in, sometimes bringing tea or sweets, and gossip from around the Royal Court. It had become almost a tradition recently, since the kitchen thievery a few weeks before. For obvious reasons, the event had become the highlight of her days.

She rubbed her eyes and turned her attention back to the stack of papers looming before her.

"Come on, Zelda," she told herself. "These papers aren't gonna file themselves." She set back to work, continuing her routine. Take paper, read paper, sign paper, cough...

After a few more rounds of the pattern, Zelda's coughs became increasingly violent and the tea failed to soothe her screaming throat. Her eyes watered and Zelda's hand gripped her throat as the cough racked through her body. She felt as though she had swallowed a knife; a burning sensation stretched from the back of her mouth down to her stomach. Zelda laid her head down on the Mahogany desk, groaning as her skull began to pound in the same beat as her heart. Her gloved hands gripped at her head, pulling at the strands of hair. The beating grew louder, and the coughing grew more violent. With each passing second, the pain become more distinct, more powerful, until it suddenly subsided. Just as quickly as the pain had appeared, it vanished, leaving the Queen both confused and relieved. She reached a trembling hand to her tea cup and found that her fingers were too weak to wrap around the handle.

"I should lie down," Zelda told herself, but looking at the tall stack of papers, the Queen only gave a resigned sigh and closed her eyes. "I have too much to do. I can wait until the paperwork is done." With her final judgment, the Queen set back to work, falling into the monotonous routine once more.

* * *

"Zelda..."

The Queen heard a soft voice call to her from beyond the darkness.

"Zelda?"

The voice continued. Zelda mumbled quietly, grimacing at the ache in her neck. The voice called again, steadily growing louder. A hand rested on her shoulder, lightly shaking the Queen from her sleep.

"Eh?" Zelda sluggishly raised her head from its uncomfortable position on her desk. "What?" She groaned, wiping away the sleep in her eyes. "Link?"

His laugh reached her before her eyes could even focus. "You fell asleep."

"No I didn't." The Queen denied, even though she had been caught in the act.

"Really?" Link's eyebrows shot up and he pulled a piece of paper from her desk for her to examine. "Then explain to me why this paper is wet."

Zelda paled at the sight of the document that she had fell asleep reading. Her cheeks jumped from pasty white to bright scarlet when she recognized the wet substance coating the paper as her drool.

"I, um, spilled my tea." She stuttered, staring at her lap.

"And decided to take a nap instead of clean it up?" Link asked, his teasing smile telling the Queen that she had already lost. "Sorry, Zel, but I believe this is what you call 'drool.'" Link wiggled the paper in front of her face. Her face colored at the mention of the drool as well as the nickname he had given her recently.

"Oh, and you're one to talk! Who fell asleep in the Council Meeting last week?" Zelda challenged, tilting her head to the side questioningly and smiling with fake innocence. Now it was Link's turn to blush.

"They were talking politics again! That's your area, Your Highness." The King huffed.

"At least I fell asleep in private. You should have seen the Council Mens' faces when you passed out in the middle of their discussion." Zelda grinned at the memory. Regardless of how unprofessional it was, she couldn't deny that it was funny.

Link rolled his eyes like a teenaged girl arguing with her mom. "They didn't even notice." He sighed exasperatingly.

"You were snoring."

"I so was not."

"It was loud. It shook the table."

"You're exaggerating."

"I'm not e-" Zelda was suddenly cut off as her body was racked with another coughing fit. Her body was filled with the same burning sensation as before, and she collapsed back into the chair.

"Zelda?" Link skirted around the desk and knelt at her side. Despite her situation, Zelda felt a different kind of warmth spread through her at the concern in his voice. "What's wrong, Zel?" he brushed the hair back from her eyes. "Are you sick?"

The Queen managed to reign back the coughing and tried to tell him that she was fine, but when her mouth opened, Zelda was unable to form any words. Her throat felt stripped raw, and when she attempted to speak, a sharp pain crawled the length of her throat and stole the words from her mouth, dragging them back down. Only a strangled squeak escaped her ruby lips.

"Let's go," Link took one of her hands in his own and placed his other hand on her shoulder. "You need to get some rest." He began leading her from the desk, but the Queen shook her head stubbornly, firmly standing in place.

Confusion and concern etched Link's face with a furrowed brow and slightly narrowed eyes. "What?"

Zelda pointed to the stack of papers, which had depleted considerably, but still piled high on her desk. Again, she tried to speak, and again, her voice failed her.

"No," Link said, his frown deepening. "That can wait." He started for the door again. Zelda squeezed his hand.

"What?" the King asked again, his tone tinted with annoyance. Zelda pointed again to the papers, then stood on the top of her toes and pointed up. Link sighed and shook his head. "I don't care how tall that pile is, or how many there are. You can't think straight if you're sick anyway." He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Okay?"

Seeing the disbelief crowding her sapphire eyes, Link took her other hand, which was still pointing at the papers, and held it in between them. Zelda glanced down at their four hands conjoined together.

"A sick Queen is no good to her people," Zelda's eyes shot back up to him. "and the sooner you get some rest, the sooner you'll recover." Link smiled tenderly, watching the conflict rage behind her glimmering eyes. He felt his stomach churn-the motion not necessarily unpleasant. He had more or less gotten used to the feeling, considering it had been occurring more and more often.

"Okay?" He asked quietly, gently. The Queen bit her lip softly, drawing Link's attention to the pomegranate-colored feature. She disrupted his gaze by nodding, slowly at first, but the gesture grew more confident as it continued.

"Good." Link grinned, squeezing her soft hands and tugging the Queen along behind him.

Though the Royal Study, or the Queen's Office, was not far from her bedroom, Zelda found herself panting in exhaustion only halfway through the trek. Her eyelids felt as though they were weighed down by boulders, and her chest struggled with the burden of an invisible Goron sitting on top of her.

"Zelda," Link turned to her suddenly. "can you walk okay?" he frowned listening to the choppy breaths she exhaled. They sounded almost wet, like she had drank all of Lake Hylia and the water was struggling to escape through her lungs.

Zelda shook her head, and the action took more energy out of her than it should have. She gasped, hands resting on her knees as her heartbeat pounded throughout her whole body. The Queen squeezed her eyes shut as if she could block out the pain, the rapid pulse of her throbbing heart.

Abruptly, she felt arms wrap around her middle and the distinct feeling of weightlessness washed over her. Zelda's eyes flashed open to reveal Link's face above hers, bouncing in time with his steps. She relaxed into his arms. A thought passed through her mind that she should object to being carried Bridle Style in the halls of her own kingdom, but her voice was too weak to tell him that. There was also the fact of his strong arms, so tightly wrapped around her, and his warm chest that functioned so perfectly as a pillow. Just this once, the Queen let herself melt into his embrace and let the rhythmic bounce of his steps lull her to sleep.

* * *

Upon her awakening, Zelda was greeted by the smell of hot pumpkin soup and the smooth texture of silk sheets around her. She stretched and rubbed her eyelids, finding that her gloves had been removed. Wiggling her toes against the cool silk sheets of her bed, Zelda discovered that her shoes had also been taken off. She sniffed the air and smiled at the smell of soup waiting for her. The Queen sat up, but immediately recoiled onto the mattress as a fierce headache raged on with the movement.

She clasped her pounding head in between her hands and groaned. The sound triggered an onslaught of coughing. She waited a long while before attempting to sit up again, the pleasant aroma of soup tantalizing her as she stared blankly at the ceiling.

After Zelda felt strong enough, she sat up, much slower than the previous time, and cupped the bowl of soup in her hands. The steam wafted off the orange mixture, heating her face and perking up her droopy eyes. She dipped the spoon in and drank the soup leisurely, savoring each spoonful of the pumpkin delight. Every few sips would be interrupted by coughs that seared her throat, and she would soothe the burning with a drink of cold water that waited beside the soup.

She soon found that even the task of bringing the spoon to her mouth proved to be taxing on Zelda, and by the time the bowl was empty, her eyes had returned to the state of familiar heaviness that came with exhaustion. The Queen returned the bowl to the bed-side table and once again fell to the welcoming embrace of her mattress. She vaguely remembered wondering where the delicious soup came from before surrendering into a deep slumber.

Zelda was aroused from her sleep with the squeak of her bedroom door opening. She tried to pry her eyes open, but they remained closed as if they were sealed shut with glue.

"Link.." she muttered softly. Unfortunately, her voice was too weak and the name came out unrecognizable. As quiet as it was, Link's ears picked up the noise and he came up to her bedside.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, taking the empty soup bowl off the table.

"I'm mhm meh.." The Queen answered, her voice muffled into the pillow and restricted from the weakened state the sickness had left her in.

"Okay then." Link chuckled softly, not understanding a word of what she had uttered. "At least you're awake." He commented. Just after he said the words, Zelda's breathing slowed and her mouth parted slightly. She had already drifted off to sleep.

"Somewhat." Link muttered. He placed the bowl in the crook of his arm and started towards the door. Zelda mumbled in her sleep and flopped onto her back. Link paused, smiling at the sleeping beauty. Hesitantly, he turned back to her and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before walking out the door.

"Goodnight." He whispered to her sleeping form as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

Two days later, Link sat in a chair parallel to Zelda's bed, carefully watching the doctor check the Queen's pulse and scribble on his notes.

"..weak heartbeat..." Dr. Borville muttered, adjusting his overly large glasses as he wrote. "sweating and chills..." more scribbling. "How's her appetite?" The doctor turned his scrutinizing gaze to Link.

"She eats the soup." He frowned. "When she's awake." Dr. Borville's eyebrows rose questioningly, arching over the shiny frame of his glasses. "She's been sleeping a lot," Link explained, "the first day she woke up quite a few times, and the next day was less, and she's only stirred once or twice today."

Dr. Borville nodded, writing and muttering a few more things before bringing his attention back to the bedridden Queen.

"Is the soup helping?" Dr. Borville's crotchety voice rose over the scratch of his pen sliding across paper.

"I guess. It's the only thing she'll eat." Link answered sullenly. The Doctor nodded, poked at Zelda's pale cheeks, and continued to write. Link watched him quietly, his eyes darting between Zelda and the grouchy doctor that stood above her. He grimaced at Zelda's still form; the rise and fall of her chest had grown slower since the first day of her sickness, and the rosy color had vanished from her cheeks. Staring at the ivory skin of his Queen, Link wished he could kiss her cheeks and bring the life back into them, revive the soft pink glow he had come to adore.

"Are you listening, Your Highness?" Dr. Borville's sharp tone dragged Link's attention away from Zelda.

"Uh, what? Sorry." Link stammered. The rosy color he had wished to return to Zelda's cheeks swarmed over his. "Can you repeat that?"

"It looks like she caught the common cold," Dr. Borville studied his notes, "but it might have triggered something much more serious." The blush disappeared from Link's face and was replaced by the same clammy paleness that clung to his wife. "That soup that you've been giving her-what is it again?"

"Pumpkin soup." Link answered.

"From?"

"The pumpkins are from Ordon, but it's made in the Snowpeak Mountains." Link told the Doctor, struggling to keep his eyes from flying back to Zelda.

"Well, keep giving her that. It sounds like it will be good for her."

Link nodded, and the doctor continued. "I'll be back tomorrow to check up on her. Once I see where she's headed, I can fix up an antidote for her." Dr. Borville waddled towards the door. "Until then, make sure she doesn't run out of Pumpkin Soup."

The doctor closed the door behind him, leaving Link alone with his thoughts and his sleeping beauty.

"You'll be okay, Zelda." He whispered. He knew the Queen couldn't hear him, but the sentence was more to comfort himself than anyone else.

* * *

"King Link!" A servant pounded on the door to the Royal Study, dragging Link's focus away from the papers piled before him. While Zelda was sick, the King picked up her work, which meant he had to do paperwork and attend council meeting on top of his usually royal duties.

"What?" He snapped, dropping the pen and document he had been reading. The door opened to reveal a young servant, breathing heavily.

"Your...Highness.." he said in between gasping breaths. Link sat patiently, waiting for the servant to compose himself. "The escort to Snowpeak...has been...delayed..." the servant's arms flailed as he pointed in no particular direction.

"What?" Link growled, rising from his seat behind the desk. "Why?"

"A storm...Your Highness.." the young servant finished, finally starting to get his breath back.

"When will it let up?" Link asked, gripping the desk tightly.

"We...don't know, my King. A blizzard hit and disbanded the royal brigade. It's too unpredictable to guess."

Link dropped his eyes to the dark wood of the desk. Zelda's desk. The rich chocolate color reminded him of the soft tresses of her hair. The dark strands had blended into the wood so well last week, when Link had found her asleep at her desk. He remembered thinking how cute she looked, her hair all ruffled and lips lightly parted in sleep. Now, the adorable expression only brought him a sinking feeling of dread. The Queen had only gotten worse, and he feared that expression would be the last one she would ever wear.

"How much soup is left in the kitchen?" Link asked quietly, his gaze still locked on the chocolate swirls in the desk.

"Enough to last a few more days," the servant shifted uncomfortably, knowing the news he brought was a curse to the King.

"Be more specific." Link ordered.

"Three."

A dead silence filled the Royal Study. Link slid back into his chair, his eyes never leaving the cold surface of the Mahogany desk.

"Thank you," Link told the servant, waving him off. "Tell me if there's any more news."

The servant boy nodded and bowed deeply before leaving the King to himself. Link sighed tiredly and held his head in his hands. _"Three days.."_

Link suddenly shot up from his chair, banging on the desk loudly with his fists. The stack of documents collapsed and papers flew everywhere, but Link ignored the mess. "I gotta find Ashei," Link shouted to no one in particular. He charged out the door, leaving the pile of papers wherever they sat.

* * *

"You need what?" Ashei's low pigtails of obsidian hair swung forward as she leaned closer to the King, trying to hear his voice over the loud clatter of the bar.

"I need a guide," he shouted over the yelling of a nearby drunkard. "Up Snowpeak."

"Ashei leaned back, taking a swig of her drink. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Link nodded his head underneath the dark hood he wore.

The female soldier set down the mug with a clank and rested her caramel eyes on Link. "Well," she smirked, "I guess I can't say no to royalty." Ashei stood from the bar stool, stretching her arms above her head. "When do you want to do this, Mr. King, sir?"

"Just Link, please," his eyes darted around the bar, hoping no one heard the name. "I'm trying to stay out of attention, remember?" Ashei snorted in response. Ignoring her poor manners, Link continued. "I want to be there by tomorrow afternoon."

Ashei dropped her arms, the chain mail armor clinking as her hands fell to her hips.

"Tomorrow?" Her eyebrows shot into her bangs. "You know there's a blizzard right now, yeah?"

"I know." Link stated gravely. "That's why I need you. It's been a long time since I've been up there, and things are...different now."

He thought back to the last time he ventured over the Snowpeak mountains. Back then, he was fighting under very different circumstances, in a very different body, and for a very different Princess... He no longer had Midna's guidance, or the keenness of a wolf's nose to help him.

Link ran a hand through his sun-kissed hair, brushing off his memory at the same time.

"The blizzard is keeping my men from reaching Snowpeak, and I need to get there in less than three days." Link silently grit his teeth as Ashei's eyebrows rose even higher, disappearing into her hairline.

"What's up there that you need so bad?" She asked, chuckling slightly as she wrapped her fingers around her mug and lifted it to her lips.

"Yeto's soup."

Ashei paused, the mug suspended by her lips. "Yeto? The...the.."

"The yeti." Link finished. A lightly smug smile formed on his mouth; it was not often that one saw Ashei speechless. However, his next words ripped the grin from his face, evaporating his joy in seconds. "Zelda needs it. She's sick, and it's the only thing that's keeping her awake."

Immediately, Ashei's brow fell from her hairline like a bird falling from the sky, quickly settling low over her darkened eyes.

"The Queen..." Ashei's lips turned into a deep frown. Her eyes fell, deciding to study the contents of her mug rather than face the King's pained expression. For a few seconds, the obnoxious clatter of the bar faded away as she stared into the amber swirls of her drink. Link's world also fell into a quiet anticipation, desperate hope that Ashei would agree to guide him, despite the storm raging on the mountain peak. All other distractions vanished from his focus as Link watched the soldier's lips part. His heart pounded for an eternity before her words could reach his ears.

"Link, what will happen if she doesn't get that soup?" Ashei asked, her worried eyes darting back to his. Link faltered, Dr. Borville's analysis from the previous day ringing in his ears.

 _"...the aroma of the soup is acting as a Stimulus to her senses." Dr. Borville stared into the eyes of his King. "In cases like this," he gestured to the still Queen, "the individual's senses shut down one by one as their body goes into a defensive shock against the disease..." the doctor's thin lips were firmly pressed into a tight line. "Her consciousness is merely a response to the stimulus. If that were to be taken away..." he drifted off._

 _"What?" Link felt his heart beating against his ribcage, his mind reeling in horror. He had to ask, even if deep inside, he knew the answer._

 _"If the stimulus was removed, then Her Highness would lose all responses and she would fall into a state of constant sleep, a coma, you could say." Dr. Borville cleared his throat, his cloudy eyes falling on his notes. "And by that time, it would be much harder, if not impossible, to wake her up."_

 _Link blinked, feeling the gravity of her situation crush against him like a thousand boulders. He felt the breath rush out of his lungs as the metaphorical boulders piled on top of him. Link hardly felt the doctor's gentle hand on his shoulder, or heard his soft-spoken words. The King felt a shadow of panic rise from his stomach, the onyx claw of grief seize him in its grasp._

 _"Zelda.." He gasped, the name only a hoarse whisper on his lips..._

Link breathed shakily, mulling Ashei's question over in his mind. _"What will happen?"_

He paused, not wanting the soldier to hear the tremble in his voice. "She won't last long. We tried other soups, but she only reacts to Yeto's Pumpkin soup."

There was silence only between the King and the Soldier as the rest of the bar howled in drunken laughter and unfulfilled threats. Ashei closed her eyes, feeling the burning languish resonate through Link's whole being. Though she was never one for tears, Ashei had to fight away the emotion surging through her, tugging at her battle-hardened heart. She gulped, forcing down the lump in her throat.

"Well, you've got me, Link." She said, noting the desperation in his eyes as they snapped back to her. "However bad that blizzard is, it can't be worse than the storm that will come if Zelda isn't taken care of." She smirked at him, her sarcasm racing back. "Goddesses know you can't rule this kingdom all by yourself."

Link's eyes softened a little, and a small chuckle passed out of him. Ashei clapped her hand on his shoulder. "Pull yourself into shape, Your Highness. I'll be waiting here bright and early tomorrow morning." With that, the soldier left him, determination and hope brewing in both of their hearts.

 **Ending Note: I really love Ashei's character, even though her role in the game was pretty small. I think they could have done a lot more with her. I mean, a female soldier with a mysterious background...so much potential right there! When I first played TP, I liked her so much that I based the main character of my book off her. Have I told you guys that I'm writing a book? I've kinda been neglecting it lately, because I'm writing this, but whatever. I think this is really improving my writing skills anyway. Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Sorry for those of you who don't like action. It's still a Zelda story, therefor there must be _some_ fight scenes. Just a heads-up, I won't be updating for a few days because I have an event with the band that lasts until Sunday. Marching band takes up waaay to much time.**

 _All of Castle Town gasped as she gracefully strode towards them, appearing from under the arched entrance of the castle and into the city. Behind her sheer veil, the Princess' eyes only saw him, waiting at the alter in gold and pearl armor._

 _Handmaidens followed close behind, delicately holding the smooth ivory trail of her dress. Her sapphire irises fell to the bouquet of vibrant flowers in her white-laced hands. The flowers had been picked out especially to accent the rose design that traced her veil and the skirt of her dress. Each of the roses were woven out golden fleece and dulled with the white frost of a December morning._

 _Above her, roses of the same color hung from the columns and roofs of the city, the died petals glistening under the morning sun._

 _The Princess caught her breath, realizing that she was only a few steps from her betrothed. She gave him a shy, but hopeful smile under the glimmer lace of her veil. His lips curved into a smile as well, though the warmth didn't spread to his glacial eyes._

 _She stopped, inches away from the royal priest and faced her soon-to-be husband. The smooth ivory and gold of his armor shone, the vivid colors blending like milk and honey. Even his hair glowed brighter, as if the strands were fabricated from the gentle rays of the Hylian sun._

 _The Princess only half listened to the priest as she waited for her cue. After an eternity of anticipation and longing, the priest asked if she would take him as her husband and king._

 _Her lips tingled as the two words passed through them: "I do." Her heart stuttered as the priest addressed the same question to the man beside her. A second of hesitation before the two words fell from his lips as well, and the Princess' heart pounded stronger than ever before._

 _With a smile, the priest proudly proclaimed the words she had dreamed of for thousands of nights._

 _"I now pronounce you, husband and wife, King and Queen..."_

 _Her fingers tightened around the bouquet. "you may now kiss the bride.."_

 _The immense roar of the crowd fell on deaf ears as her veil was pulled back. She closed her eyes, locking the moment forever in her memory. The audience grew louder, but all she felt was the warmth of his lips. They lingered for several seconds as the wedding bells crashed overhead. She wished he never would have stepped back, releasing her from his hold._

 _Slowly, her eyelids parted and his face came into view. The exuberant smile on her face was not reflected on his. The smile faltered when their eyes met. They did not look like blue irises, but like circles of ice, frozen, distant, unfeeling._

 _"It felt so real," she thought, struggling against tears as he took her hand and led her down the isle. She didn't even hear the cheers of her subjects as she passed by, or see their beaming faces; all she could see was his empty eyes, staring back at her with despair._

Link frowned at Zelda's pale face, contorted by a dream that he could not wake her from. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, brushing his thumb against her palm.

"I'll be back, Zelda." He whispered, throwing his sword and sheath over his shoulder. Leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss on her hair.

* * *

Link glared at the mountain looming before him. Even with his thick cloak and hood, the wind bit at his skin like the ghost of a ferocious animal. White specks blurred his vision as the storm raged around him, wrapping Link in a blanket of ice.

"This way, Link!" Ashei's voice barely reached over the howl of the wind, even though she was standing right next to him. Numbly, he followed her lead over the frozen lake, only placing his feet where she had. Behind them, the stranded royal escort called warnings as they were led back by a Castle Town rescue team, but Link and Ashei ignored them.

"Link?" Ashei called over her shoulder to him.

"Yeah?" He choked as his mouth was filled with snowflakes.

"How do those dimwits travel all the way up the mountain to get the soup?" She jutted her gloved thumb towards the disappearing Soup Crew. Link chuckled and shielded himself so that snow wouldn't fill his mouth once he began to talk.

"I really liked Yeto's soup last time I was here. It's really good when you're sick," Link explained. "So I made a deal with him and King Ralis,"

"The fish dude?" Ashei interrupted. Link sighed.

"Yes, the fish dude. Also known as the Zora King." Ashei shrugged, ignoring his eye roll. "Yeto leaves a few barrels of his soup in Ralis' palace, and my team picks it up there. So they don't have to actually scale the mountain." Link carefully watched each of Ashei's steps and followed in suit.

"Then why-" the howling of the wind cut off Ashei's voice.

"What?" Link shouted.

"THEN WHY WERE THE IDIOTS HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE?" She screamed back. Link jolted back at the strength of her voice, almost slipping on the ice. He growled as she laughed.

"Yeto didn't bring it down, probably cause of the storm, and they went to get it." Link sighed in relief when his foot crunched against thick snow. Finally, solid ground.

"Well that's stupid." Ashei snorted.

"At least they're dedicated." Link sighed wearily, brushing the snowflakes from his hair.

"Whatever," Ashei linked her arm into his. "Stay close to me or you'll get lost in a second."

Studying the scene surrounding him, all Link saw was pure white, like an unpainted canvas. That is, until two red dots appeared, glowing like burning coals against the snow. Link frowned, squinting as the dots approached at rapid speed.

"Ashei..." he mumbled into her ear. Link reached back, pulling his sword from its sheath. He grinned at the glittering metal. It wasn't the Master Sword, but it was something.

Another set of beady eyes materialized out of the snow, and Link faintly heard the distinct _Shing_ of Ashei's sword being drawn. Within seconds, the eyes were upon them, the faint outline of a wolf's body darting closer. Only a few feet between them, the White Wolfos leaped, surging through the air. Unfortunately for the beast, the two soldiers were ready.

Link's blade sliced through the Wolfos' body with ease, making the beast disintegrate on the spot. The second Woflos didn't fare much better; it burst into black smoke shortly after being impaled on Ashei's sword. The two had little chance to celebrate, as another set followed immediately after.

Back to back, the King and the Soldier cut through the snow beasts one by one as they trudged through the snow. Their ragged breaths were lost in the screaming of the wind and the howls of the White snow beasts that surrounded them.

"Ashei..." Link panted as he ducked below a Wolfos, impaling it as the beast flew over his head. "I can't...see where..we're going." He heard Ashei grunt as she knocked a Wolfos out of the air, stabbing it before it reached the ground.

"45 steps...before we reach...the first.." the rest of her sentence was cut off by the wind, shrieking like a banshee. Link only nodded, returning his attention to the five Wolfos before him. He counted each footfall as he sliced his way through the snow.

 _"1, 2,"_ raising his shield, Link felt the Wolfos smack against it and crumple to the snow. He quickly passed his sword through its stomach, turning the white beast into dust. _"7, 8, 9..."_ another ghostly wolf fell to his sword. _"17, 18..."_

"Link, duck!" Ashei's voice rang in his ear. The King dropped to the snow as her sword split the air over his head, zipping through two Wolfos at the same time.

"Thanks, Ashei." he called to her, rising from his crouched position.

"A little rusty, are we?" She mocked, continuing to wage her battle against the snow wolves.

Link narrowly dodged the snapping teeth of a Wolfos, reached out and snatched the creature up by the scruff of its neck. His sword sunk into its body, disappearing into white fur. The body exploded, dousing the King in ash, but freeing his sword.

"I've still got it." he grinned, despite the battle swirling around him. _"29, 30, 31, 32.."_

The bodies of White Wolfos continued to drop and vanish into black smoke as the two trudged up the mountain side, counting step by step. _"35...38...42..."_

Both were out of breath, but enjoyed the adrenaline of the fight. The painful ache of the cold vanished, replaced by the excitement, the thrill of battle.

 _"43, 44, 45, 4-"_ Link's back smacked against the cold surface of a boulder. He gasped, stumbling in surprise. Reaching out a cautious hand, Link felt the bite of icy stone against his fingers.

"Ashei, is this-"

"The first boulder," she pressed her back against it, tilting her head sideways to speak to him. "Pay attention!" her eyes flicked behind him. Instinctively, Link ducked, and a Wolfos sailed overhead, smashing into the boulder with a _thud._ It disintegrated without another movement.

"It's all uphill now," Ashei yelled to him. "You ready, Your Highness?"

"Yes, ma'm." He smirked at her scowl. "How many steps this time?"

"123. You think you can handle that, Mr. Hero King?"

Link rolled his shoulders. "You're lucky I'm too cold to think of a good comeback." He smiled at her hearty laugh, readying his sword for another attack.

* * *

Handmaidens scurried around their Queen, muttering worriedly and applying cool towels to her forehead. Zelda lay still, her facing ashen white.

"She's heating up!"

"Get more towels!"

The Queen did not stir, even as the shrill voices of her attendants shrieked for assistance. The silk sheets around her were drenched in sweat and dripped water from the sobbing towels that rested on Zelda face and neck.

Dr. Borville shooed the maidens away, inspecting his patient with a fearful eye. _"Your Highness.."_ he thought, shaking his head and clenching his fists against the railing of her bed.

"Bring her more soup!" he shouted to the cluster of servants behind him. Five of them scurried off at once, all hurrying to do the same job. Dr. Borville turned to the remaining servants, his glasses hanging low on his nose.

"Where is the King?" he snapped, unintentionally making his small audience wince.

"He's going to retrieve more soup, sir." A courageous maid stepped forward, wringing her hands. "The kitchen is almost out."

Dr. Borville seethed silently, brushing his small wisp of smoky hair back. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted as the Queen's breathing became ragged, almost panicked. Her shaky hands reached out desperately, and her whole body began to tremble. The doctor knelt beside her, not caring that his glasses fell in in haste, and grabbed her hands.

"Stay with us, Your Highness," he pleaded, forcing his voice to stay calm, despite the panic raging inside of him, as well as around the Queen's staff. "He'll be back soon," Dr. Borville quickly glanced at the empty spot on the Queen's bed. "Be strong for him," the doctor exchanged the towel on her forehead for a fresher one. "He needs you, Zelda." he stopped bothering with formalities, believing that saying only her name would bring comfort to the Queen.

Dr. Borville rapidly shouted orders at the staff as Zelda's body collapsed into stillness once again.

Link squinted against the whipping blurry of snow around him, listening to Ashei give him directions.

* * *

"Keep your back pressed against the mountain..." she yelled. He could only vaguely see the outline of her body, even though she was no more than a foot in front of him. "Take a wrong step, and you'll fall off the edge!"

Link looked at his feet, only seeing a smudge of his brown boot against the sugary snow. "Where _is_ the edge?" he shouted back to her.

"This path is only a..." she paused as a powerful gust of wind pushed the two back a few steps. "Is only a few feet wide. So watch yourself."

Link nodded numbly, feeling his tight lips crack against the sharpness of the icy wind. A little drop of blood fell from his lip, crystallizing before it hit the ground. It landed in the snow, glowing like a ruby against the white powder. Link smiled, thinking of how Zelda's ruby lips glowed against her pale skin. Suddenly, the wind didn't seem as cold.

"Almost there!" Ashei whooped in his ear. Link tore his eyes from the blood crystal, realizing that he had stopped moving. He lifted his left foot, ignoring the fact that each step felt like he was weighed down with the density of the snow, pushed back by the ferocity of the wind. _"Wait for me, Zelda."_ He pleaded silently, finally stepping off the mountain path and into the clearing, where more White Wolfos waited.

"This is the farthest I've gone. You know how to get to Yeto's, yeah?" Astrid asked. Link nodded.

"Past the three trees, right against the wall there's a sinkhole." he gestured ahead, not even seeing where his finger pointed because of the thick blanket of snow. "Just get me there, and I'll do the rest."

Ashei bobbed her head under the hooded coat she wore and began trudging into the clearing. There were less White Wolfos, and they were easily taken out by Link and Ashei. With a single swipe of her sword, or a stab of his, the ghostly snow beasts fell upon each other, blasting into nothing. Still, they were a hindrance to the Hylians, and the short distance across the clearing took an eternity, or what seemed like it to the weary fighters.

Finally, reaching the stone side of the mountain, Link fell to his knees and began digging. Ashei stood in front of him, fending off Wolfos and sheltering the King from the raging winds.

"Found it yet?" She asked as she brought her sword down on a snow beast, momentarily turning the snow black with ash.

"Give me a second." Link muttered, tossing snow over his shoulders by the handful. _"This was so much easier as a wolf,"_ he thought grudgingly. Behind him, he heard an increased number of growls, though he wasn't sure if it was from the Wolfos or simply the wind. He didn't take the time to look.

His hands shoveled through the powdery snow, scooping it up and heaving the handfuls behind him or off to the side. After a few more handfuls and only more snow to fill his hands as a reward, Link moved to another spot.

"Hey, Link?" Ashei stumbled back, the heel of her boot pressing against his.

"What?" the King asked, still digging.

"Hurry up," the sound of steel cutting through fur and flesh filled the air. "We've got more company than expected."

Link paused, giving himself only a second to glance over his shoulder, where he saw Ashei holding off more Wolfos than he had time to count. He slid to another spot and dug even faster.

Link's hands grew numb from the cold, but he continued to shovel out the snow. The growling of the White Wolfos grew almost as loud as the roaring wind. Ashei grunted, and a yelp followed.

"I've almost got it, Ashei." Link encouraged her, though he really had no idea how close he was. The girl didn't respond, her focus being drawn by the bombardment of White Wolfos.

"Please tell me this is the right place," Link mentally pleaded, plunging his shivering hand into the snow once more. He winced as his fingers cracked upon ice. The Hero King barely got the chance to acknowledge the pain as the rest of his arm fell through the snow.

"Ashei!" He yelled, grabbing at her cloak with his free arm. "I got it!"

She paid him no attention, her deadly caramel eyes locked on the Wolfos surrounding her. Link wrapped his hand around the soft material of her cloak and jumped through the sinkhole, pulling the soldier with him.

His face was too numb to feel pain as he smashed against the icy floor of the tunnel, Ashei falling on top of him. The girl thrashed, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Ashei!" he growled, his face pressed uncomfortably against the ice.

She rolled off of him, kneeing the unlucky King in the back as she went.

"Sorry, Link." She laughed as he rolled around, a pained grimace evident on his face. "Rough landing."

He only groaned in response.

"Get up," Ashei rolled her eyes. "We don't have all day." She extended her hand to him. He accepted the gesture after giving the soldier a glare colder than the ice around them.

The two quickly scaled the levels and ladders of the ice tunnel, occasionally having to cut down an ice keese or two. Though they were a bother, the weak bats were a nice break from the White Wolfos. Ashei's biggest concern, however, was the tall steps that she had to pull herself over. By the time they reached the end, Link was on the edge of stabbing her if she complained about the steps one more time, or how they made Link look "even shorter than he already is." In fact, he had almost stabbed her the _first_ time she brought of the latter statement. Fortunately for Link, one look at the door quieted Ashei immediately.

The rough slab of stone bore the imprints of two giant hands-the hands of a Yeti. The prints were just as fresh as the last time Link laid eyes of them, roughly two years before.

"You sure about this, Hero?" Ashei asked, her voice slightly hoarse from screaming over the wind.

"He's really not as bad as you think, Ashei." Link pressed his own hands against the imprints of the Yeti's. "Yeto isn't bad, once you get to know him."

"My father used to scare me by claiming that the Yeti would eat me if I misbehaved." She stared at the door, hesitation showing through her almond eyes.

"You don't have to come with me," Link tilted his head to watch Ashei over his shoulder. "You can wait here."

The King chuckled quietly as Ashei's hesitant expression transformed into an irritated glare.

"Don't patronize me, _Your Highness_." She spat, shoving Link out of the way and sliding the door open herself. Link raised his hands defensively, his not-so-sincere apology answered with a snort from the female soldier.

The other side of the mountain was windy, but the storm wasn't nearly as severe as it had been on the other side. The break came as a great relief to Link and Ashei, considering they were already exhausted from the grueling trek up the mountain side. Link grinned as the withered tree came in sight, ice caps hanging frozen on its limbs.

"Ashei," his smile grew playful as he bashed his shoulder against the tree, making a few ice caps fall. He picked one up and handed it to his courageous companion. "Care for a race?"

* * *

Zelda's eyelids fluttered, then opened slowly. Her lips turned into a confused frown as her servants and the Castle Town doctor came into sight, all beaming down at her.

"Finally," the doctor sighed, slumping slightly. "You've been out for quite a while, Your Highness." The handmaidens all nodded, mumbling their agreement. "We've been worried."

Zelda smiled at them weakly, attempting to apologize, but the words never left her lips. Leisurely, her eyelids started to lower, and the Queen fell in and out of sleep as the doctor fought for her attention.

"Stay with us, my Queen." he pleaded. The Queen's entire staff leaned in uncomfortably close to her, all speaking too quickly for Zelda to understand. Her head spun, and darkness crept in from the corner of her eye, slowly absorbing the light. Just before the darkness consumed her, Zelda's nose picked up a familiar scent-creamy, smooth...

Her eyes shot open as the steaming bowl of soup was lifted to her nose by a servant.

"Would you like some Pumpkin Soup, Queen Zelda?"

Zelda nodded, a lazy smile on her lips. The smile never fell as she spooned the warm orange liquid into her mouth.

" _Pumpkin.."_ Zelda mused, bringing another spoonful to her lips. _"Ordon Pumpkins.."_ She swirled her spoon around in the bowl. _"Link's from Ordon.."_ she thought, her smile growing brighter.

For the first time since she received the bowl, Zelda looked up from the soup. Her eyes scanned the crowd, and she frowned when his face didn't show.

"Where..." her voice cracked, but she pushed past it. The room grew silent as they waited for her to continue. "where's Link?"

The servants all looked away, some staring at the floor or at each other.

"He's away right now," Dr. Borville spoke up. "His Highness will be back soon, I'm sure." the doctor smiled at her encouragingly. Zelda frowned, her appetite lost.

"I'm tired." she muttered, placing the bowl on her bedside table. She let her eyes slide closed, ignoring the protests of her doctor and handmaidens. Her world delved into darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

"Try knocking louder." Ashei suggested, leaning against the cold stone of the Snowpeak Ruins.

"If I knock any louder, I'm going to break my fingers," Link growled. Once again, he balled his hand into a fist and rapped on the door five times, waited, but still there was no answer.

"Maybe they're on vacation." Ashei grinned at her King's annoyance.

"Yeah," Link replied, his tired voice dripping with sarcasm, "a couple of Yetis taking a beach day at Lake Hylia. Honestly, Ashei, where could they possibly go?"

The girl in question shrugged her shoulders, idly checking her fingernails. "You're just giving me attitude cause I beat you in the sledding race."

"You cheated." Link retorted shortly, knocking again on the ice matted door.

"I won fair and square." Ashei grinned devilishly and crossed her arms over her chest. "I just play by a different set of rules, pretty boy."

Link's eyes narrowed into cold blue slits. "I was winning until you pushed me over."

"No," Ashei said slowly, patronizingly, like a teacher trying to explain logic to a kindergartener. "I kicked the sled out from under you." She grinned at his feathered jaw. "And you weren't winning. We were neck and neck." Ashei glanced down at her fingernails once again, ignoring his snorts of derision.

Link rapped on the door for the tenth time, still receiving no answer.

"I'm going in," he muttered, bracing his hands against the heavy door and pushing it open. The door gave away with a tremendous groan. He stepped in without hesitation, but Ashei peered through the doorway before entering, her alert eyes darting from corner to corner of the forgotten mansion.

"They won't be mad that we kind of broke into their house?" Ashei asked quietly, still searching for any movement in the still ruins. Link shrugged carelessly, eyes lazily floating over the stone walls.

"Yeto knows me. I've done a few favors for him in the past."

Ashei paused a second longer before hesitantly stepping into the stone mansion. "Whatever," she whispered, slightly wincing as her footsteps echoed throughout the empty halls, "But if he gets mad, I'm blaming you."

Link ignored her and started walking down the hall, his light footfalls muffled by the scarlet carpet. He nimbly slid over the icy patches as if he had done it a hundred times before and paused at the wooden doors at the other side of the hall. He turned, waiting for his female companion, watching her expectantly. His slightly raised eyebrows sent her a silent message. _"What are you waiting for? Come on!"_

Ashei followed after him, all the while studying the decaying wood and frosted stones of the foyer, the broken staircases that led to empty air. An unlit chandelier hung over her motionlessly as she passed under, heading towards Link and the towering oak doors. The golden accents on the wood were chipped and aged over time.

"Ready?" Link asked, not at all caring as his voice bounced off the walls and high ceiling.

"Yeah." Ashei replied quietly.

"You don't look ready." He teased, failing to hide his cutesy smile. Ashei snapped to attention at his jest, a frown settling on her chapped lips.

"I _am_ ready," she growled, purposely matching his volume and listening to her own voice echo.

He cocked his head in a sympathetic, yet patronizing position, making Ashei's irritation increase.

"Just _go_!" She hissed, shoving him against the door as she uttered the last word. He chuckled under his breath, shouldering the door open.

His light hair was illuminated into a marigold color by a source that Ashei couldn't see, but she could feel its warmth wrap around her like a blanket. She stood on her toes to peek over Link's shoulder, and her coffee eyes settled on a fresh fire, dancing in response to the pile of lumber feeding it.

The wood burned low. The supply hadn't been restocked, as if the fire was made and then forgotten.

Ashei noticed a few velvet cushioned chairs had been knocked over and the paintings adorning the cream walls were tilted, hanging in disarray.

"It looks kind of...abandoned, yeah?" Ashei asked.

"Yeah," Link answered casually, "but it always looks like that. The Yetis aren't big on home maintenance." He walked closer to the fire, warming his hands before he cupped them over his mouth and shouted: "YETOOOO?"

"Link!" Ashei chided him, instinctively ducking and scanning the room, fearfully expecting an enraged Yeti to burst through the doors.

"YETAAAA?" He shouted again. He was only answered by the crackle of the fire and the growl of what they could only assume was the rage of the wind outside. The two were proved wrong when they passed through the right door and into the snowy opening of the mansion's center yard.

A second after he felt the chilled breeze ruffle through his hair, Link dropped to the snow, pulling Ashei with him as an ice spear flew overhead, disappearing into the room behind them. A shatter followed as the spear collided with the wall and broke into frosty particles.

Instantly, Link raised his shield and heard the sound of dozens of spears colliding with the thick metal. The force of the weapons pushed Link and Ashei back into the fireplace room, but not before they took in the hundreds of Chilfos warriors lining the yard and broken walls. Link connected the roar they heard to the two spheres of white fur bowling through the Chilfos on the towering walkways.

Link slammed the door behind them, and heard the _thunk_ of spears sticking into the other side. Both sat breathlessly, staring at each other and listening to the fire pop and crackle.

"I think we found the Yetis." Link stated, thinking of the pale spheres fighting against the ice warriors. Ashei nodded numbly, her eyes wide.

Link flexed his fingers, adjusting his leather gloves. "Well, Ashei, if you want to get on Yeto's good side, this is a great opportunity." Ashei remained silent. "I'm gonna go help him out." Link continued, checking his array of weapons while speaking. "Are you with me?"

Ashei pondered her options. She glanced at the fire and the comfortable looking chair beside it, so warm, secure, inviting. Then her eyes turned to the door, where faint sounds of battle raged beyond it. Dangerous, cold, thrilling. Link was watching her expectantly, waiting for her answer while arranging his weapons belt. The female soldier grinned, adjusting her own gloves.

"Alright, Your Majesty," she smirked playfully. "Count me in."

* * *

"Any word from King Link?" Dr. Borville questioned a servant while placing a warm towel on Zelda's forehead.

"No, Sir." The servant answered quietly.

"And how is the kitchen staff faring?" the doctor briefly glanced at the multiple bowls of soup on the bedside table before turning his attention back to the pale face of the Queen.

"They have yet to imitate the soup perfectly. All species of fish from Lake Hylia and Ordon Lake have been tested in the soup, but as you can see," the servant also glanced at the bowls of imitation soup, "none of them have the same effect."

"What are we missing?" Dr. Borville slammed his fist on the table, shaking the bowls and causing the orange contents to spill out. The servant silently stared at his shoes, unable to answer the question on all of their minds.

Doctor Borville slumped, dropping his fist to his side and slowly prying his fingers apart. He waved off the servant. "Bring me updates," he said through a tired, deluded voice. "If there are any."

The servant nodded, bowed, and left without a word.

* * *

"Ready," Ashei shouted over the clang of spears smacking against her shield. "Aim," the girl dropped to her knees, pressing them against the cold stone of the cannon tower. "Fire!"

A cannon whirred over her head, plunging into the band of Chilfos before her, shattering them into pieces. She used the shield to cover her and Link's heads as ice chips rained down on them.

"Nice aim." she said to him, peering over the rim of the shield to see that all the ice men had fallen to the cannon ball.

"Thanks," Link reloaded the cannon. "Let's get those guys now." He nodded his head towards a group of Chilfos on a stone platform raised above the snow coated yard.

Ashei crouched beside him, holding the shield in front of them to block the Chilfos' spears as Link turned the cannon. She protected him from enemy fire while he loaded in a bomb. "Ready." he told her.

Ashei raised the shield above their heads so that Link could see the Chilfos. "Aim." she commanded.

"Got it." Link confirmed, ducking under the protection of the shield. Spears clanged against the metal and shattered.

"Fire!" Ashei called. Once again, she fell to her knees, holding the shield out in front of them as the cannon blasted through the Chilfos, sending shards of ice in every direction. When the debris cleared, Link fired upon another group while Ashei guarded him from their spears. With this highly efficient pattern, the two cleared the top floor of Chilfos with cannon blasts, while Yeto bowled through the lanky warriors on the ground floor.

"See any more, Ashei?" Link asked, his own eyes scanning the stone platforms and runways.

"Not on this floor," she shook her head, making snowflakes fall from her ebony ponytails. "But the Yeti could use some help."

Link peered over the cannon, grimly watching Yeto smash through rank after rank of Chilfos, his pale fur blending into the snowy background.

"If we use the cannon, we could hit Yeto," Link said. Ashei nodded. Even her sharp eyes could barely discern the Yeti from the snow.

"Maybe we could fight the old fashioned way." Ashei grinned, handing Link the shield and unsheathing her sword.

Link took the shield in one hand, and his deadly sharp blade in the other.

"Sounds good to me." he answered. He stepped to the edge of the of the platform. "Three," he stated. Ashei stepped up beside him, eyes staring down into the battle field. "Two," she counted.

"One!"

Together, they leaped off the edge, falling into the midst of the fight.

Link landed on a Chilfos, plunging his sword through the creature's ice skull. Ashei hit the snow and rolled, instantly leaping to her feet and swinging her sword like a baseball bat, shattering a Chilfos in one smooth movement.

"You join now, uh?" Yeto unfurled from his ball and shone his frightening smile down on Link.

"Yeah," Link smiled back before performing a backslice on a Chilfos. The ice man staggered back, and Yeto finished him off with a solid punch that sent it flying into a wall. Yeto laughed, destroying several other enemies with a single swing of his giant fist.

"The storm bring in many bad ice people." the Yeti explained. "Never so many before, uh."

"Woah," Ashei muttered, stepping back as Yeto's hand collided with the Chilfos in front of her. She ducked as the Yeti's hand swung over her head, knocking out more ice warriors all the way. "Careful, Big Guy." she called to him. The Yeti paused, frowning at the girl with a curious expression.

"Yeto," Link shouted to him, "this is Ashei." He gestured to the female fighter while lopping the head off a Chilfos. "Ashei, this is Yeto."

"Hi," she said offhandedly. Ashei dodged a spear and thrust her sword into the chest of a Chilfos.

"This girl I like," Yeto nodded, his loud voice easily rising upon the clatter of the fight. "Ashay fight good, uh."

 _"Ashei,"_ she corrected.

Yeto let out a hearty, rumbling laugh. He stomped his feet, unknowingly crushing several enemies in the process.

"You friend Link, uh?"

"Yeah, sure." Ashei fought her way towards Link, whispering to him when she got close enough. "Does he always talk like this?"

"Yeah, uh." Link grinned at his own cleverness. "Get used to it, uh."

Ashei rolled her eyes. Her sword clanged against the spear of a Chilfos as they battled. She met each of its blows, and sneaked a few in while its guard was down.

"I thought there was two Yet-" Ashei was interrupted as a white sphere, decorated with light salmon, lime, and turquoise diamonds, fell from above, crushing the Chilfos Ashei was battling. Two chocolate eyes appeared from the fur, followed by a gentle nose and mouth.

"You friend, uh?"she asked. "Cute little human."

Ashei bristled at being called "cute" and "little," but pushed her annoyance aside and nodded. She was already in one fight, and she didn't need to start another.

"Yeta," Link slid into view. "This is Ashei. She's a friend."

"Link, uh!" Yeta cried, waddling over to him. She bumped into a Chilfos, knocking it over and stepping over its body. Ashei couldn't help but laugh at the scene.

"You no visit us," she whined. Ashei deftly stepped out of the way as Yeta crushed Link in a hug. His figure disappeared into her fur, and his muffled shouts were the only sign that he still existed.

"Yeta," Ashei warned, her sword intercepting a spear as it headed for the female Yeti's back. "maybe we should save the hugs and hellos for later, yeah?"

"Uh." Yeta nodded, releasing Link from her hold. Link tumbled into the snow, gasping for air. He rolled out of the way as a spear landed right where his head was. His cerulean eyes were wide, though Ashei wasn't sure if it was from the close call or the bone crushing hug he had just received.

"Link hug later, uh." Yeta bobbed her head before crunching into a ball and plowing through the Chilfos, speeding towards her husband.

Link flipped to his feet and laughed. "Gotta love Yeta." he cleared the surrounding enemies with a wide spin attack. Ashei caught a Chilfos' spear midflight and hurled it back to its source, where the icy weapon plunged through the midsection of its owner. She finished the job with an ending blow.

"You have weird friends, Link." she told the Hero King after crushing the enemy between them. He laughed. "Ashei, you're one of them."

Link pounded a Chilfos with his shield and leaped over its staggering body, bringing his sword down on the ice warrior's head before landing. Ashei whistled. "Nice Helm Splitter, Your Highness. We only have.." she counted, "..ten left!" Ashei cheered.

Yeto smashed another two with his fists.

"Eight left!" she corrected. And so the countdown continued.

* * *

Dr. Borville sat at his desk, his fingernails digging into the side of his head. Dozens of papers lay scattered on the surface of his workspace, all listing ingredients and medicines. Some were circled, others violently crossed out.

"Healing spring water from Kakariko, red potion, fairy essence, I've almost got it." he tapped on his desk excitedly.

"Sir!"

The doctor leaped from his desk, startled by the sudden appearance of a member of the castle staff.

"What?" he snapped, infuriated that someone interrupted him when he was right on the edge of stabilizing the Queen's cure.

"Her Highness' heartbeat is dropping rapidly. The imitation soup has failed; she has not responded to anything we have given her."

Dr. Borville clenched and unclenched his hands repeatedly, his teeth grinding down to the stub.

"Where is the King?" he struggled to keep himself from yelling.

"No word yet, sir."

Dr. Borville slung his coat over his shoulder, having no choice but to leave the riddle unanswered.

"I'm coming," he sighed, pushing his glasses back to the bridge of his nose. He cast one last glance at the papers scattered on his desk. "I'm not done with you yet." The doctor warned them, turning on his heel and following the servant to his Queen's bedside.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, four figures huddled around a bubbling cauldron of soup. The smell of pumpkin wafted through the air, reminding Link of his days in Ordon, lazing around, herding goats, and weeding the pumpkin patch.

"You taste now, uh." Yeto pounded on the edge of the cauldron with his fist. "Almost ready. Taste!"

Link pulled an empty bottle from his weapon pouch and scooped some orange liquid into the cup. Lifting it to his lips, he smiled as the steam warmed his face and the sweet aroma filled his nose. He took a long sip before handing the bottle to Ashei.

"Try some." he fit the bottle in her hand. Ashei obeyed, and a smile filled her face when she lowered the bottle.

"This is really good, Yeto." She nodded to the Yeti and gave Link his bottle back. "No wonder Zelda needs it."

"Who Zelda?" Yeto asked.

"Uh, the Queen of Hyrule.." Ashei answered. "She's really sick, and your soup is helping her a lot."

"Yeto soup help me when I sick." Yeta swayed from side to side, smiling at her husband. "His soup help Queen too."

Link nodded. "No one makes Pumpkin soup like you do, Yeto."

"You come here to get soup for Queen?" Yeto asked, slowly stirring the orange soup. "You care much for Queen?"

Link shifted his feet, suddenly finding the contents of the cauldron very interesting. "Yeah, I do."

"She is good Queen? Nice Queen?" Yeta's soft voice asked. Link nodded, still watching the wooden spoon turn the soup into hazy orange swirls.

"She's a great Queen," Link said, his voice quieter than Yeta's. "and she's nice too."

Out of the corner of his eye, Link saw Yeta waddle to Ashei and lean into her ear. The Yeti tried to whisper, but Link's sharp ears picked up every word.

"Link love Queen lady, uh?"

Link felt his stomach churn at the word _. Love._ He frowned, lost in thought. Sure, Zelda had made him feel..different. And he _did_ do anything he could to make her laugh, or even smile. And there were many nights where he had laid awake, his mind wrapped in thoughts of her twinkling eyes, but did he _love_ her? He faintly heard Ashei giggle.

" _Wait,"_ his thoughts stopped. _" Did Ashei just...giggle?"_ Never before had Link, or anyone for that matter, heard Ashei giggle. Maybe laugh, or chuckle deviously, but _giggle_? No way.

Link's head snapped up, but his attention came a little too late. Ashei was already whispering in Yeta's ear, and with a feeling of dread, Link watched as the female Yeti's eyes widened. Before he could stop her, Yeta's once quiet voice shouted, echoing around the whole kitchen.

"LINK'S WIFE IS QUEEN LADY?"

Link groaned, knowing that a tsunami of poorly-structured questions was about to pour onto him. Suddenly, a feeling of weightlessness fell on him as Link was picked up in Yeto's massive arms and shaken. His world became a blur and Yeto's thundering voice pounded against Link's skull.

"LINK HAVE WIFE? LINK KING? LINK HAVE CHILDREN?"

Link was bombarded with questions that matched the volume of an avalanche, but was unable to answer any of them due to the extreme shaking. He felt his whole body turn to jelly.

"Yeto, let Link speak, uh!" Yeta said firmly. Immediately, the shaking stopped and Link felt solid earth beneath his feet. Unfortunately, his head continued to spin and his jelly legs couldn't keep Link from falling. To his relief, Ashei caught him before he hit the ground. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard Ashei talking to the yetis, and the occasional, "Uh," or violent shout from Yeto. When Link's head finally cleared, he stood up on his own.

"You no tell us you are King now, uh!" Yeta playfully shouldered Link. He pretended that it didn't hurt.

"What we wait for?" Yeto thundered, pouring the cauldron of soup into two massive barrels and taking one under each arm. "You know recipe now, uh?" he paused only a second to ask Link the question.

"Yeah." Link answered, recalling all the ingredients and instructions that Yeto had given him.

"I wrote them down, in case you forgot." Ashei whispered to him.

"Thanks, Ash." he muttered.

"We go now, uh?" Yeto barged past them, not bothering to open the door, but breaking through it instead. Seconds later, he rushed back through the gaping hole where the door used to be and set down one of the jugs, then grabbed Link and Ashei with a swipe of his hand and set them on his shoulder. "You hold on, uh. We go fast."

He tucked the second barrel back under his arm again and sped off. Link and Ashei hung on for dear life as the Yeti sprinted, and didn't stop until they reached the Zora Domain.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Only have a few more chapters left! Everyday I'm getting more follows/favorites/reviews and each time I hear my email go off, I get really excited again. Thank you guys so much!**

* * *

She dreamed of his voice, calling to her, coaxing her to open her eyes.

 _"Zelda, wake up..."_

She could lay there forever, listening to the smooth, low tones of his voice. So comforting.

 _"I'm here now..open your eyes, Zelda."_

Zelda didn't want to open her eyes. If she did, his voice would fade away

"No..." she muttered softly, letting the coolness of the darkness and the soft call of his voice soothe her. His voice paused for a moment, then came back louder, more urgent.

 _"Please, Zelda. I need you to wake up."_

She smiled. _I need you._ She liked those words. The way they rolled off his lips, coated in his deep voice. Her nose tickled.

 _"I've got something for you.."_

Steam caressed her face, pulling her from the easy embrace of darkness. The steam grew warmer and a sweet pumpkin aroma encircled her. The black started to fade into dark orange, then a soft apricot color, gradually growing lighter until her eyelids slid open. Her eyes were blurry, still unfocused, but she was able to see a blob of gold, then tan, and two blue eyes.

"Link?" she murmured.

She felt arms wrap around her, and heard his muffled voice stream from her hair.

"Zelda! Thank Hylia!"

The Queen giggled against his shoulder. "Is this a dream?"

His arms wrapped around her tighter. "No."

Zelda giggled again, still locked in a sleepy stupor. "Did I just ask that out loud?"

Link pulled back, cupping her face in his hands. "I need you to stay awake for me. Can you do that?"

The words tumbled around in Zelda's head. _"I need you.."_

"Okay." she said, grinning as his face finally came into focus. His eyebrows were scrunched together, hanging low over his concerned eyes. "But you have to stay with me." Zelda said, slowly bringing up her hand to play with the strand of blonde hair hanging in his face. "Can you do _that_?"

His worried expression fell away, replaced with a relieved smile. "Of course I can do that." He laughed, crawling into bed next to her. "Dr. Borville's coming. He's got your medicine. You have to stay awake until then."

Zelda only hummed in response, leaning against his chest.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. Zelda shrugged, listening to the steady sound of his heartbeat.

"You should eat something." Link said. "Ashei went down to the kitchen to get something besides soup.

"I like the soup." Zelda mumbled.

"You can have soup," Link let out a breathy laugh, "but you need to eat solid food too. The soup alone isn't enough."

"Hmm." Zelda sighed, reaching her hand back to snag a few locks of his hair.

"What are you doing?" Link pulled her fingers from his face, trying to keep her from jabbing him in the eye.

"You have nice hair." Zelda laughed, untangling her fingers from his and trying again.

"You're delusional." Link grabbed her wrist, ignoring the Queen's whiny protests. He sighed in defeat. "Here," he said, dropping her hand into his messy blonde hair. She laughed and twisted the golden strands around her fingers.

"I bet I have a lot of paperwork to do." She mused.

"I've done some of it," Link comforted her, "and Shad has been helping in the office. You remember him, right?"

Zelda nodded leisurely. "The smart guy with the glasses."

"Yeah," Link chuckled, "him."

The door slid open and Ashei appeared, carrying trays of baked goods in her arms.

"Good to see you up, Your Highness," she said, sliding the trays on the bedside table. "Have some bread." She extended a loaf to the Queen, who took it hesitantly. "It'll taste great with the soup."

"Thanks, Ashei."

"No problem," the soldier replied with a bright smile. "I'm just glad to see you up again. Can you imagine Link trying to rule this kingdom by himself? Utter chaos."

"Asheeiii," Link whined, causing the girls to laugh.

"You know I'm right." Ashei jested, smirking at his glare.

"I know," Link sighed, burying his face in Zelda's hair, "No need to remind me."

"Whatever. You two have fun," Ashei said, turning to the door. "I better make sure Shad is in line."

"Bye, Ashei," Zelda waved weakly, "tell Shad I said thank you." Ashei nodded before closing the door behind her, most likely heading off to reprimand Shad about something.

Link took some bread a cheese off the tray, studying where Ashei had stood moments before. He rested his chin on Zelda's head, remembering the lecture Ashei had given him the previous day. It was..eye-opening, to say the least.

 _"Now have soup for wife, uh." Yeto dropped the barrels of soup into the cart, ignoring the whimpers of the terrified Castle Town soup crew. Despite Link's assurances that Yeto was friendly, they still quaked at the sight of the yeti. "You give wife soup, you tell her you love her, uh. You take care of wife."_

 _Link nodded, unable to conjure the words to show Yeto his appreciation._

 _"Thanks, Yeto," Ashei chimed in, "I don't know what we'd do without you."_

 _The Yeti bobbed his head, giving them his biggest, most terrifying smile. Behind, the soup crew gasped at Yeto's fangs, now fully exposed as his lips drew back in the smile._

 _"Y-yeah," Link managed to finally find his words. "You're the best, Yeto. Give Yeta a hug for me, okay?"_

 _"And you give Zelda hug too, uh." Satisfied by Link's nod, Yeto stomped off, shaking the whole Zora Domain with his footsteps, and then disappearing into the snow. The soup crew started off at once, spurring their horses into action and dragging the soup wagon along behind them, more than happy to get away from the Yeti and the storm. Link and Ashei mounted their own horses, falling into step behind the wagon._

 _"You know," Ashei said to Link, though her eyes were locked straight ahead. "you could learn a lot from that guy."_

 _"Yeto?" Link frowned. "What do you mean?"_

 _"I mean," annoyance flashed through Ashei's voice, "the way he is around Yeta. I only saw them together for half an hour, and even I could tell that they love each other."_

 _"So?" Link asked, watching her with guarded curiosity._

 _"_ So _," Ashei stressed the word, irritated with his ignorance. "You could follow his example a little." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, and seeing his obliviousness, she continued. "Look, I'm not one for romance, but I still have eyes, and with those eyes I can see that you don't treat Zelda like you should."_

 _Link blinked, a curtain surprise falling over him._

 _"I don't know what happened after you defeated Ganondorf, or what you lost, but you've been a lot..colder since that day. Secluded, like you're trying to hide from everyone." Ashei said, still not meeting his eyes. "Zelda's got it tough-she's awful young to have all that responsibility, and she needs someone to be there for her."_

 _Link felt his cheeks heat up, and he stared down at Epona's chestnut mane. He hated the guilt that settled into his gut._

 _"I think she really loves you, and you should give her a chance. She deserves that much." Ashei finished, dropping the conversation to silence. Link finally looked up and responded in a quiet voice._

 _"I'm trying, Ashei, I just don't know-"_

 _Ashei led her horse in front of Link and stopped, blocking him off from the rest of the caravan._

 _"Link," she said firmly, staring him down. "Do you love her?"_

 _Link was silent, searching for the right words, but was only able to open his mouth and shut it repeatedly._

 _"You don't act like you do." Ashei said coolly. "Tell me honestly, do you love her?"_

 _The King snapped his mouth shut, but nodded. "Are you lying?" Ashei asked, squinting her eyes at him._

 _"No."_

 _"Then if you really love her," Ashei said, ignoring the questioning shouts from the caravan, "you need to show her before it's too late."_

 _Link felt his stomach drop at her words. "Before it's too late.."_

 _"..and you need to start taking some responsibility for your kingdom. It's not fair to put all that weight on Zelda's shoulders, especially if you're telling the truth about your feelings."_

 _The caravan stopped, and a few servants called out to them, seeing if they were alright. Without another word, Ashei turned her horse and rode to the wagon, whipping the drivers back into action._

 _Link waited a while before moving, letting Ashei's lecture set in. With a rush of guilt and embarrassment, Link buried his face in Epona's mane._

 _"I'm an idiot," he berated himself, gripping Epona's coarse hair in his fingers. "I'll make it up to you, Zelda. I promise."_

 _With a new goal set in his mind, Link spurred Epona into action and sped after the wagon._

"..want a piece?" Link's eyes snapped into focus as a slice of cake was waved in front of him.

"Uh," Link blinked, "sure. Thanks, Zel." He reached for the plate, but Zelda yanked it away just as his fingers grazed the porcelain platter. Zelda's laugh filled his ears.

"Whoops," she said, offering the plate again, only to pull it back before he could take it.

"Zelda," he whined, only making the delirious Queen laugh harder. The cycle continued several more times before Link was finally able to snatch the plate, much to Zelda's chagrin. Link fought off her hands as she tried to reclaim the cake.

"Split it with me," Link told her, giving her one fork and taking another for himself. Zelda shifted to face him and they set the cake between them, each taking bites and occasionally swatting at each others' forks.

It wasn't until after the cake and the soup were long gone that Dr. Borville returned, barging through the door without knocking.

"Queen Zelda!" he gasped, delight filling his tired eyes as he saw the Queen up and smiling. "You're awake!" As he said it, a yawn left Zelda's mouth.

"Link woke me up," she said, smiling fondly at the remnants of the cake they shared. Link pointed to the empty bowl of soup and a look of understanding passed over the old doctor's face.

"Well, My Queen, it is quite a relief to see you up. You had us worried." Dr. Borville said, pushing up his glasses. It was only then that he noticed how close the King and Queen were, and a slight shock traveled through him. Rarely had anyone seen them stand so close together, and certainly not wrapped in the same blanket.

The doctor blushed, embarrassed to interrupt the rare moment, and handed Zelda a vile of liquid. The Queen turned the bottle in her hand, studying the pink aura it cast, softly glowing against her pale hand.

"What is this?" she asked, trying to uncork the top.

"It's medicine, Your Highness," the doctor beamed, his smile reaching all the way to the rim of his glasses. "I've taken ingredients from all over Hyrule, the best of the best healing mixtures."

Zelda's fingers slipped over the cork, unable to pry it from the bottle. Link took it from her before she dropped it and shattered all the doctor's hard work.

"Let me do it," he said, gingerly removing her fingers from the glass vial. "You're still weak from all that bedrest." Zelda frowned as he easily popped the cork out.

"I'm afraid he's right, my Queen," Dr. Borville interjected, gloomily nodding his head. "It will take some time before your strength comes back. We must be patient until then."

Zelda's eyes fell to her lap. She was already so behind in work..

"Drink it." Link told her, holding the glowing vial to her lips. Zelda wrapped her hands around the smooth glass. Looking at the luminescent mixture, she was reminded of the rosy fairies in Kakariko Spring. Her fatigue set in quickly, eyelids already lowering.

"Zelda," Link's voice halted her descent into darkness. "I'm sure it won't taste _that_ bad."

She smiled at Dr. Borville's indignant _hmph._

Link's fingers covered her own, securing the bottle and guiding it to her lips. The liquid slowly slid over the glass like honey, falling on her tongue like cold sugar. The sweet taste was slightly deluded-sweet enough to make Zelda smile, but not too sweet.

Link's hand fell away, leaving only her own hand holding the vial steady. By the time she had drained the contents, the Queen had already felt her senses clearing slightly, the foggy haze lifting from her mind.

"Well," the doctor's face loomed before her. "how do you feel? Has the potion kicked in yet? It is designed to rapidly improve the body's defenses in mere seconds." he rambled. "All the ingredients are fast acting.."

Zelda smiled Dr. Borville's large glasses and beady eyes, watched her expectantly. She fell back into Link's arms.

"I can already feel the improvement." She said softly, chuckling as fierce joy and triumph rushed over the doctor's face, much different from the unamused-and-slightly-irritated expression he usually wore.

"Thank you, doctor," she said, stifling a yawn. "this must have taken much time and thought." He bowed his head, a grin spreading across his face. He blushed at the Queen's praise.

"It's my pleasure, Your Highness." he said. As a doctor, those kind of statements were almost mandatory, a polite gesture that he hardly ever meant, but seeing the radiant, hopeful smiles of the Royal Couple, Dr. Borville knew he meant it.

* * *

"How are you feeling today, Your Highness?" Zelda glanced up from the paperwork that lined the silk bedsheets. Though she was still at bed rest, the Queen refused to fall farther behind on her work.

"I'm feeling much better," she looked at the old man tenderly, smiling as he pushed his overly large glasses up on his nose, "thank you, doctor."

Dr. Borville nodded, his lazy wisps of pale hair dancing with the motion.

"Are you ready for your medication, now, Queen Zelda?" He asked, producing the rosy vial from his coat. Zelda took it, thanking the doctor again.

"Need help?" Link inquired, scooting closer and setting down the paper he had just signed. Zelda shook her head, her fingers tightening around the vial as she raised it to her mouth.

"I'm getting stronger," she told him. "I think I can do this by myself now." Zelda parted her lips and drank the glowing contents of the vial, handing it back to the doctor when the last drop disappeared. It was such a small action-lifting a single vial on her own strength, but it still brought a grin of joy to her face, and to Link and Doctor Borville as well. It was the first day she was able to do so without Link's assistance.

"I can already see your strength returning, my Queen." Dr. Borville bowed. "I'll have the next dosage ready by tomorrow." Zelda bobbed her head, making her braided side bangs dance. As Dr. Borville left, the Queen turned back to her work. The monotony of her job had faded, considering Link was always beside her, taking half of the paperwork for himself.

Zelda smiled at her husband, leaning up against him.

"Zel, what does this mean?" He asked, pointing to a particularly long word.

"Excogitate," she answered, scanning the sentence to better understand the context. _"We humbly plead you to excogitate our proposal.."_

"It means to put an idea under careful consideration." Zelda explained, watching him nod and write the word down, repeating it a few times before copying down the definition.

"Thanks, Zelda," he said, signing his name and planting a kiss on her head. "You're the best."

The Queen blushed and forced her attention back on the document before her. Her blooming curiosity bested her, as it always did, and she slid a peek at the long list of words Link had started to carry around. Definitions were scribbled by each one; Zelda recognized them all as words she had shown him while they worked together. He often asked her what a word meant, and she was always delighted to tell him because she was always rewarded with a sweet "thank you," and an even sweeter kiss on the head.

Despite her efforts to be sneaky, Link caught her eyes and gave her a smile that could melt the SnowPeak mountains.

"If I'm gonna be King and all that," he said, holding the vocab list up in the air, "I've got to speak the language. I have to be.." he quickly glanced at the paper before turning his eyes back to Zelda. "perspicacious."

Zelda raised her eyebrows and grinned. "You'll be talking like a spoiled Nobleman in no time."

"That's what I'm going for." He responded cheekily, scribbling a signature and taking another paper.

"Your Highness?"

Zelda and Link both looked up to see a young servant at the doorway.

"Yes?" they said in unison.

"The council meeting will commence soon," the servant said, "will His Highness be able to attend?"

"I'll be there," Link nodded, thanking the servant before dismissing him. Link leaned close to Zelda, whispering in her ear. "Commence- to begin," Zelda laughed as his breath tickled her ear. "I knew that one."

"Link," Zelda said as he rose from the bed. "Try not to fall asleep, okay?"

Link leaned down, giving her one last hug before he slipped off to the meeting. "I would never," he smiled, ignoring Zelda's doubtful laugh. "I promise," he said, pulling back and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll take these things more seriously. No more falling asleep or goofing around." he folded his vocab list and stuck it in his belt pouch.

The Queen was surprised to see a shadow of guilt pass over his beautiful eyes. "You won't have to deal with all of this on your own, anymore." He said softly. Her shock didn't fade, even long after he had left the bedroom, the feeling of his warm lips still burning against her cheek.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: I guess this is the last official chapter, but I might write a short epilogue chapter after this if you guys think I should. I hope to post more stories in the future because I have had a lot of fun doing this. You guys have been wonderful supporters!**

"Your Highness, before we conclude, the matter of the Ceremony must be brought to hand," the nasally voice of a Councilman sent Link's eyebrows up.

"Ceremony?" He frowned at first, but not wanting to appear stupid, cleared his throat and continued. "Ah, yes, the Ceremony." Link let out a little laugh.

" _Your_ Ceremony, my King." the councilman pushed, a hesitant look of skepticism shadowing his pudgy face.

"Yes, of course," Link said, silently cursing himself for his memory blank. "What about it?"

The man then smiled, lifting his rosy cheeks into perfect bulbs. "Will Her Highness Zelda be well enough to attend this year?"

"She should be," Link said. "She's already started walking again. I'll be working with her today to get her stamina back up."

"And you, too, will be at attendance, Your Highness?" another Councilman man asked, this one a thin man with an impressively long mustache.

"Of course," the King answered, allowing a smile to form on his lips. "I have to give a speech, don't I?"

"That's correct, King Link," the chubby man said. "If you're willing, it would be a great honor."

"I'll work on something." Link answered with a firm nod, successfully masking his nervousness. He never was a big talker, and speeches of any kind made him uncomfortable, but if Zelda had to do it, he decided that he would have to do it too.

"That's wonderful, Your Majesty," a different councilman chirped, "now on to the festivities. What is your opinion on the edibles, my King..."

* * *

Link frowned at his shoes, intensely racking his brain to remember the next line of his speech.

"and to thank those who.." Zelda prodded, her eyes darting between Link and the written out speech she held.

"and to thank those who," Link mumbled the words, repeating them again before his eyes lit up. "who fought alongside me for the justice and rectification of Hyrule." He grinned proudly, repeating the sentence again for good measure.

"Shall we go through it again?" Zelda asked, peering at him over the paper.

"Not until you do another flight." Link said, pointing to the stairs. The Queen looked at them and sighed. "If you want to be ready by the Ceremony," Link reminded her, tenderly flipping a strand of her hair around his finger, "you've gotta do your exercises."

"I know." Zelda responded, pouting slightly. She grabbed the sides of her dress, pulling it past her ankles as she stepped upon the first stair. Zelda took each step carefully, tenaciously, as she ascended the spiral staircase. Link followed behind her in case she fell, but with this being her third time up and down the stairs this morning, Zelda was confident that she could do one more.

Already, a week had passed since her first steps since the comatose state, the memory still fresh in her mind.

 _"Thanks for helping me, Link."_

 _With one hand clasped tightly on to his, and her other hand pressured against the wall, Zelda took her first few steps since her comatose state._

 _"Don't worry," he squeezed her hand, soothing away the look of worry that pulled at her soft eyes and lips. "You won't fall; I've got you." Slowly, the Queen's steps became more confident, less shaky. After a few more, her hand fell from the wall, hanging loosely by her side._

" _A few more steps and you can be done for today." Link encouraged her. One finger at a time, he pulled his hand from hers. "You're doing great," he told her, watching as her toes padded gently against the stone tile. He slipped another finger loose._

 _"Think you can make it to the end of the room?" he asked. Zelda nodded, and Link slid his hand away from hers. For a second, panic filled Zelda's eyes until his calm voice came back, easing away her fear. "You can do it, Zel. Try a few steps on your own."_

 _The Queen nodded and gingerly placed one foot in front of the other. Left, right, left, right..._

 _A brilliant smile erupted from her cherry lips as her hand grazed the wall on the far side of her bedroom. Her eyes glittered as they met Link's, seeing the same pride in her irises reflecting in his._

 _Link closed the distance between them, scooping Zelda in his arms. "I knew you could do it," he bounced her in his arms, giving her laugh a hiccup effect. She leaned against him, melting into his strength. "That's enough for today," he told her, hearing the fatigued shake of her breath. "Tomorrow, you can go there and back again."_

 _Zelda nodded, smiling despite the wave of weariness that dropped over her. He laid her on her pillow, and despite her efforts to stay at attention, her eyes slid closed._

 _"We still have some more paperwork to do, if you're up to it," Link said, "but if you're too tired..." He paused, glancing over to see his Queen already fast asleep. Link smiled lovingly, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest. He sat down on the bed, pulling the stack of papers into his lap._

 _"I'll take care of it today," he whispered to her sleeping form. "I have a lot to make up for anyway.."_

The memory reminded the Queen of how far she had come from that day. She could climb one measly set out stairs. She could run up them if she wanted to.

Zelda took a large breath, summoned her courage, and bound up the steps as fast as she could. Her mind flitted back to the day, months earlier, when she had ascended the steps with the same speed. Back then, her motivation had been a stolen buffet, and now, it was Link's constant jabs and pesters.

"Almost...there.." she gasped between breaths. _"Ten left.."_ her heart beat even faster than the smack of her feet against stone _. "Five left..."_

Faintly, she heard Link's cheers behind her. _"three...two..."_

Zelda held her sides as her chest heaved up and down, but the exhaustion didn't faze her radiant grin. She stared down at the cold stairs in triumph, the cheers of her husband resonating off the stone slabs and high walls.

Once her breath had steadied, she raced back down the stairs, flying past Link as he chased after her. She didn't stop at the bottom of the stairs, but continued running through the walls, dashing past servants until her legs wouldn't go any further. By the time Link had finally caught her, both were breathing heavily and grinning wildly. He tried to speak to her, but his words were drowned out by the pounding of her heart, beating like drums against her ears. She knew he was saying some kind of joke because of the way his mouth slid into a half-smile. She laughed, not because of the unheard joke, but at the mere sight of his grin.

Zelda was no stranger to the saying "laughter is the best medicine," and as she stood there, laughing in response to her love's crooked smile, she finally grasped the truth of the phrase. She felt as if her whole body was made of light, and his lopsided smile and echoing laugh only made her world that much brighter.

* * *

She sat behind him, smiling as he recited each line perfectly. Zelda had gone over the speech with him countless times, showing him when to pause, when to smile, what word to put emphasis on. Silently, she mouthed the words behind him, delighted as he flowed over each one without a single stutter or sentence break. Her heart flooded with pride as the she listened to his flawless delivery of the last sentence.

"I give this speech to thank the citizens of Castle Town for supporting me as King, and to thank those who fought alongside me for the justice and rectification of Hyrule."

Zelda prepared herself for the deafening roar of the crowd, but instead, only Link's voice continued.

"A friend once told me that if we bury our heads in the past, we will never be able to forge a better future."

The Queen remembered Renado saying those exact words after she had caved upon seeing the destruction of Kakariko.

"Well, actually," Link continued, pulling Zelda even deeper into confusion and curiosity. "he said it to Zelda, but I was with her, so it still counts." Zelda, along with the rest of Hyrule's citizens, chuckled quietly. Link paused a second, waiting for the chuckle to die off before he continued. Then his voice returned, a more serious tone in place.

"During and after the Twilight Invasion, we all lost someone dear to us," the crowd mumbled in agreement. "but just because that part of our lives has been taken away, does not mean we have to spend the rest of our lives in grief." Zelda felt her breath grow ragged.

"In even the darkest times, when great love is lost, an even greater love can blossom." The crowd silently nodded their heads, watching their King with inspired eyes. "Don't waste your time dreading over the loss of your past, because each second you spend looking behind you, you lose your chance at a better future." Link bowed his head, ending his speech with a "thank you" that was swallowed up in the thunder of the audience.

For the next few hours, Zelda watched after him curiously as he shook hands and chatted with the citizens, only half-mindedly following her own duty to do the same. Music wafted throughout the whole city, but they never reached the Queen's ears. All she heard was his speech, repeating over and over in an endless loop.

A few times, Zelda caught his eye, and Link would smile at her and angle his head to the side, pointing at something that the Queen couldn't see. She followed his eyes to the South Gate, and finally, the message clicked. Several minutes later, Link was gone.

Zelda shook a few more hands before excusing herself, claiming the need to check with the kitchen staff on the food arrangements. She followed a similar pattern as she had a year before, dipping behind columns, sneaking through shadows until she disappeared behind the towering doors of the South Gate.

There he sat, resting upon the pale stone steps as he had a year before. The fading glow of the sun fell upon his hair, making it glitter like the warm sand of Gerudo Desert. Zelda smiled at the scene, watching his inky shadow diminish as the light died.

"Link," Zelda said, sitting beside him on the marble stairs. "think of all the handshakes you're missing out on right now."

He chuckled, tilting his head to look at her. "If I shake one more hand, _my_ hand is gonna fall off." Zelda laughed. "This is kind of a deja vu, isn't it?" she asked, watching the last ray of sun slip behind the fields. The whole sky turned rosy, reminding Zelda of Kakariko fairies and Dr. Borville's healing concoctions.

"Yeah," Link said. The last remainders of sunlight swirled in his eyes like amber puddles.

"Great job on your speech, by the way," Zelda's heart pounded as he smiled at her. It wasn't his usual lazy smile-it was different somehow. "Even your improvisation was amazing."

Link shrugged. "It wasn't exactly improv." he confessed. "It's something I've been thinking about since we visited Kakariko together." Zelda grinned fondly at the memory. His voice came back, stopping her before the memory took over.

"When Renado said that, it got me thinking," he sat up straighter and turned to her, his eyes focused on hers like she was the only thing that existed. "I've been wasting my time, crying over something that I can't change. And, even if I had the chance to change it now, I wouldn't want to."

Zelda strained to hear him over the pounding in her ears.

"I loved Midna," he said, and though she had told herself that fact for years, it still shattered her heart like the Twilight Mirror. "But I've been so hung up on her that I didn't realize how much I was throwing away."

Zelda wanted to speak, but found herself empty of thought, only a lingering consciousness stuck on his words.

"Midna's gone, and I've been too stupid to see who has been here for me this whole time." he blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "My own wife is kind of a no-brainer, huh?"

Zelda found herself laughing, almost hysterically. With each word, she felt her shattered pieces of heart click together, slowly building into a whole. Link blushed deeper.

"Look, Zelda, if it's not too late, will you give me another chance?"

Zelda's dumbstruck silence urged the King into more persuasive begging, though it was really unnecessary.

"This time I've spent with you has been the happiest time I can remember, and even though I love being with you as a friend, I can't help but think of what it could have been like if I wasn't so clueless. I love you, Zelda, and I'm sorry it took me this long to figure that out."

Zelda's jaw went slack, opening and closing on its own freewill. Her eyes clouded and drops fell on her lap, but she didn't even notice them.

"Zelda?" Link asked worriedly. His eyebrows scrunched into the familiar expression that Zelda adored. "You're crying," he said nervously, gripping her hand. Zelda absent-mindedly noted that she had never seen him so distressed. "I don't know if that's good or bad." His brow furrowed even deeper.

Queen Zelda became conscious of her own laugh echoing off the walls as she searched for the right words, still rendered speechless.

"Are you mad?" Link asked, biting his lip. Zelda shook her head.

"Are you happy?" he tried again, this time the Queen nodded. A huge grin broke over his face as he wrapped her in a hug "You just gave me a heartattack!" he cried into her shoulder. "I thought you were gonna say no."

Zelda wound her hands through his hair and pulled him back, their noses nearly touching.

"Why would I say no?" the Queen finally managed to find her words. "I love you, Link," she brushed his hair back, grinning at his startled look. "I thought I made that pretty obvious."

Link stared at her a moment before releasing a shaky breath. "You're talking to the guy who carries a vocab list around in his belt pouch." Zelda shook her head, laughing quietly.

"That dorky list is another reason why I love you." She smiled as Link's eyes lit up at the words.

"I love you too." He said, needing to say the words just one more time. Zelda felt her cheeks glow and her eyes fill with a whole new round of tears. They never got the chance to fall.

Link closed the distance between them and pressed his lips against hers, removing the cold bite of nightfall. Warmth flooding through Zelda's entire being as if she had just drank a whole gallon of steamy Pumpkin Soup. She held him close, her fingers getting lost in his tangle of golden hair. The last piece of her heart clicked into place, and she felt it beat in time with his.

Zelda didn't know how long it was until they separated, but she met his eyes and felt another rush of warmth overwhelm her. The first time they had kissed, on her wedding day years ago, his eyes had been consumed with despair, emptiness. But looking into them now, Zelda saw the love that she had only dreamed of seeing. The love that she had harbored for years now shone back at her through his cerulean eyes.

 **Author's Ending Note: I know, I'm not that great at writing kissy scenes. Despite that, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. All the support you gave me really boosted my confidence as a writer, and all the advice you shared helped me improve a lot. Thank you a million times over for the reviews, follows, favorites, and even author favorites. I don't know when my next story will be, but this won't be my last one. With all the encouragement I get from all of you, I don't think I could put down the pen if I wanted to!**


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